Picking Up the Shattered Pieces
by didsomeonesayventus
Summary: The worlds never knew the threat of Xehanort. All of that was put to a stop by two brave warriors the worlds didn't know knew either; Terra and Aqua. But a price was paid; while they saved countless lives from tragedy, a tragedy of their own happened in Ventus losing his heart. Yet other fates lie in store... AU where Terra and Aqua take care of Xehanort at the Keyblade Graveyard.
1. Chapter 1

Aqua looked back to Ventus, "Ven?!" She ran over and knelt next to him, "Ventus are you any more unfrozen?" Ventus barely shook his head, although he was more wet to Aqua's touch than last time, so progress had been made.

"T-Terra." Ven told her, "Help. Terra."

Aqua raised her head at the loud thump on the ground. Someone had landed behind them. She felt Ventus grab her wrist before she could look back, "Terra first." She looked at Ven, debating it. He forced a smile back, "I'm fine..." Aqua looked back and saw the boy in the mask, that utter freak- Vanitas -approaching them. But then he stopped.

"Come on now, play nice. Stay out of the way when it's not your turn." He said.

She scowled, but felt Ventus using her arm to try and sit up, "I got him...!"

Aqua turned to Ven again, "Ventus-" She paused at the resolve in his eyes.

"I've taken him on before. I can beat him."

Aqua stared at her Keyblade. She then helped Ventus all the way up, "You can move right?"

Ventus stretched, but it was slow and he looked pained and tired; his armor creaked and groaned in protest, "Yeah."

Aqua then grabbed his wrist when he began standing, "You're not-"

Ventus held her hand, "Aqua, I can do this. Go help Terra."

"If you don't make a move soon," Vanitas began again, "I won't wait to make the first move."

Ventus glared at him before turning to Aqua again, "Aqua..."

Aqua hugged him, "Please be careful." She hiccuped a little from restraining tears, "Please... don't... don't-"

Ventus suddenly shoved her away, catching a blow that landed him on the other side of their outcropping of rock. Aqua sat up, seeing Ventus readying himself for battle. He looked furious. His fury at such a low, cheating attack by Vanitas was strong enough to speed up the ice's melting.

He saw her still sitting there in shock, and waved his hand "Aqua I got this-!" He stopped himself to parry away a blow, then ran elsewhere to draw Vanitas off, "Go help Terra!"

Aqua nodded, then ran off with the sounds of battle ringing from everywhere.

...

Aqua panted, trying to hold up herself and Terra. Their armor was battered, they were extremely taxed by their triumphant fight with Xehanort, and honestly they could only barely stand as they tried rearranging their dazed heads.

Aqua turned to Terra, "We... did it."

Terra smiled, "Yeah..."

He then looked around, "But Ven..." They both felt their hearts stop.

Ventus stumbled towards them, a gigantic Keyblade- perhaps the X-Blade he had mentioned -slack in one hand and the other clutching at his head yet ignoring pained tears that rolled down from the uncovered eye. Ventus smiled- Aqua wondered if she heard an echo to his voice, "You're okay..."

Terra stumbled forward from Aqua, "Ventus...!" He fell to his knees just as Ventus collapsed into his open arms, "Oh, Ventus!"

Aqua followed after, cupping Ven's face over Terra's shoulder, "What's wrong-" She stopped when Ventus lowered his hand. One of his eyes was gold.

"I'm sorry..." Aqua and Terra realized that there wasn't an echo: Vanitas's voice was talking alongside Ven's.

Terra pulled away from his hug, and was unable to express the horror he felt upon realizing what had happened. He was only able to make his face taut sadness. He ran a hand through Ven's hair, "Ven?"

Ventus held out his hand, "We're... still friends, right?"

Terra and Aqua leapt at it, unsure of what was coming next, "Of course! Of course we are nothing can drive us apart!"

Ventus's eyes began fading; the X-Blade began cracking and shattering, "Of course..." He toppled forward, limp and lifeless.

Terra's scream of grief was only rivaled by the explosion of the X-Blade vanishing from the worlds.

* * *

Okay another really stupid AU where Xehanort's plots stopped at Birth By Sleep because of the above events. What follows next? Well we'll see next chapter as the story develops.


	2. Chapter 2

Later they learned that Ventus wasn't dead, per se, as his heart had merely left. His body was only an empty shell. Although for all intents and purposes, Ventus was gone. No matter what bliss he had on his face, it never moved into the smile Terra and Aqua loved. No laughter parted from his lips. The bouncing, happy child that was so loved had made an ultimate sacrifice for his friends.

Terra and Aqua rebuilt the Land of Departure, but they left one room at the very peak of the castle. Blank, white walls cradling a lonely throne on which Ventus went through his long- possibly eternal -rest.

Ten years passed. Aqua declared Terra a Keyblade Master. They generally kept world order, but like Eraqus before them they mostly meditated on the worlds and kept out of things. All the friends they had made on their adventure slipped away into obscurity.

Terra didn't forget one boy, though.

"Hey, Aqua." He said one day. Aqua only got up and started heading up towards what they had decided on calling "The Room". Terra sighed, "Aqua,"

"No thank you, Master Terra." She said softly.

Terra only kept following, "Aqua, we won't live forever."

"Good." she quipped back.

Terra took a deep breath, "We need to find more people to take on the Keyblade-"

Aqua rounded another flight of stairs vacantly, "We're enough."

Terra shook his head, "No, no we're not. Not with only King Mickey to help support us."

"Yen Sid." Aqua countered, "He's still around-"

"Aqua he's retired."

"But he's still here and he can still help us." Aqua stopped her ascent. Her hand gripped the stair rail with white knuckles, her voice was strained and edgy, "Now that is enough of this nonsense, Master Terra."

Terra quietly went one step ahead of her, then bent down slightly and hugged her, "There's no need to call me Master."

Aqua buried her head in his shoulder "I don't..." she hiccuped "I don't want another..."

Terra smoothed her hair, "I know, I know it still hurts..." He delicately laid his head on top of hers "I know... It hurts to think of what can happen." He sighed, then bit his lip. He thought everything over while he carefully rocked himself and Aqua. He then said, "Aqua, we have a duty as Keyblade Masters to ensure the worlds are safe, but if we don't continue the lineage we'll be the last."

Aqua pulled away, then resumed going up the stairs.

...

Terra looked behind him. He was glad Aqua had decided to accompany him to picking up his little investment from so long ago. He then quietly turned forward and knocked on the door in front of him.

It took only a moment of speech with the parent's of the household to be let in, a little longer to explain, and then after that less time for the chosen boy to come down.

Needless to say, Riku was much different than Terra thought he would be. His hair was still short, but looked long compared to other boys and didn't contrast much with his pale skin. He'd also gained a lot of muscle, along with a glint in his eyes that was competitive and cold. Aqua frowned, but Terra only welcomed Riku like an old friend.

"I was wondering if I'd made all that up." Riku said, "I was wondering if I was just imagining things just to find some chance of getting away to cling to."

"Well, rest assured this is the part where you really get to learn it all." Terra smiled.

The door suddenly opened "Hey Ri-" the boy who'd interrupted stopped "...ku." He was much more different. His skin was tanned, his eyes were blue, hair brown, honestly not much of note. Except Aqua remembered him. And now that he was older, he was indeed the spitting image of Ventus. The same smile wrinkles, the same shade of blue hope and wonder in his gaze, even the same laugh when he said, "Oh, sorry! I thought Riku wasn't doin' anything!"

Aqua kept staring at him. Terra looked him over, "Oh well, kind of-"

"Hey you're that guy! a-and that lady!" the boy suddenly exclaimed. It was clear he was a little bit slow.

Riku glared at him, "Yes, and they're here to train me."

"Train you?" the boy asked, "But Riku, you're already the best at everything here."

Riku folded his arms with a confident smirk "They're gonna take me into an apprenticeship for something called a Keyblade."

"Aw man! No fair Riku!" Sora whined.

Terra held a hand to his chin, "Well, nothing against two apprentices, actually-"

"NO!" Aqua yelled. When she realized her emotions had gotten out of hand, she repeated softer, "No, no I am not training him-"

"The name's Sora, miss." the boy said.

Aqua walked out, "We have Riku and that's who we came here for-"

"Hey wait you mean he's gone?! He's leaving?! forever?!" Sora protested.

Terra walked up to her, "Aqua, Aqua I know he looks like Ventus but-"

"No 'but's. I am not training with him." Aqua said firmly.

She stopped when Sora grabbed on of her sleeves, "Miss, please, I've always dreamt of the outside worlds!"

Riku glared at him again, then looked at Terra with a strained smile, "He's just talking nonsense-"

"There's more than one, isn't there? More than just this?" Sora continued, "And don't lie to me I dream of them every night!"

Terra turned and bent down to eye level with Sora "Is that true?"

Aqua stared ahead, eyes wide, when Sora firmly said, "Yes! I dream of the stars and cities and mountains! I dream of wind at my back and under my feet! I dream of colliseum matches and heroes! I dream of meadows, and beauty, and friends I have yet to meet-"

Riku covered Sora's mouth, "He's always been a little nuts."

Aqua turned around, "You... dream of these every night?"

Sora nodded eagerly.

Aqua then turned to Terra "He..."

Sora pulled out a piece of paper, "Hey, um, would this Keyblade thing happen to be this?"

Aqua felt herself buckle into Terra at the sight of her Keyblade, Terra's, and Ven's. She looked up at Terra, "He can come with us."

* * *

oooooOOOOOOooooooo what is this? Sora's psychic?


	3. Chapter 3

Aqua now had business of her own to tend to with Terra taking care of Riku and Sora. She shot through the Lanes Between, thinking over her decision grimly. Well, she thought, there's gonna need to be a girl to balance out those two rambunctious boys... She sighed, Maybe if I can only save one, maybe I can teach her my mistakes. She could save both.

She folded up her Keyblade glider and let her armor dissolve in the warm light of Radiant Garden. She vaguely recognised the people milling about their daily business, but kept her eyes firmly set on the castle. Maybe she could find who she was looking for there.

Aqua drew herself up taller in front of the two guards she saw, "Excuse me?"

The muscular redhead opened his eyes, but his dreadlocked companion was the first to speak, "What business do you have with Master Ansem?"

Aqua's reply was simple, "I'm looking for a girl named Kairi."

...

Kairi blew some hair out of her eyes. When it flopped right back into her face she pulled it behind her ear and tucked it into the hair that had been gathered into a bun. She then giggled a little, then sadly smiled at the headstone in front of her, "Sorry, grandma, I'm such an improper mess." She placed some flowers down at it's cold base, "I got you flowers... The kind you really liked."

She let her shoulders slump, "I miss you."

"I missed you, too."

Kairi straightened herself and swept off her clothes, "I-I who are-" She saw Aqua and faltered, "you..."

Aqua looked Kairi over, noting the white capris that flared out into petals at her knees and the blue neck-strapped tank top she wore. She looked much more mature than her age with her hair tied up like it was. Aqua smiled at how her necklace was still worn.

Kairi finally resumed her speech "Y-you saved me..."

Aqua nodded, and summoned her Keyblade, "You remember this, as well?"

Kairi nodded, "Y-yes, but-"

Aqua held it out to her as it turned into a flowered Keyblade she hadn't used in a long time, "It's time for me to teach you how to save others."

...

Sora and Riku had down time to settle into life at the Land of Departure, so obviously they spent it exploring their surroundings. Sora was the one who kept climbing everything, and Riku was the one to ground him when he got the idea to climb across the massive chains strewn all over the world. But eventually Sora got bored:

"I've already seen that bench."

"These halls are a little familiar."

"Riku come on this place isn't that neat."

So eventually Riku and Sora split up, getting irritated with each other's mannerisms. Sora went down a hall, past the library and training room, past everything. His heart was leading him somewhere, and he figured he should go out and find it.

He opened a door to an empty bedroom, littered with papers of odd symbols and plants with windows open to the sunny sky. The walls were wooden and honestly the room looked like the typical room of a young boy. Sora liked it, and ran his hand over a bit of dust "I wonder if they'll let me have this one."

He turned his head back to the empty halls. His heart beckoned him elsewhere. The room was familiar and comforting, yes, but there was somewhere he had a greater need to go to. He walked down the hall, mesmerized by the goal. He began climbing stairs, feeling his senses wax and wane as if he was in a dream. The closer and closer he got to the top, the closer and closer he felt himself slipping away-

"Sora! SORA AS YOUR MASTER I SAID DON'T TAKE ANOTHER STEP!"

Sora stopped. Everything snapped back from his daze like a rubber band. He turned to see Aqua red with anger, but there was a worried edge to it. Like he'd cornered her. He took a few steps away from the top, "S-sorry I was exploring-"

"You are forbidden from EVER going up there!" Aqua snapped at him, pulling him down. She turned to Kairi and added more gently, "You aren't allowed up there either, Kairi."

Sora turned to Kairi and felt himself seize up. The Destiny Islands had cute girls, but Kairi was a breath of fresh air. She smiled at him, and Sora smiled back.

...

"Now then, you are all here to train to become Keyblade Masters." Terra said to the three slumping kids in front of him. Aqua, lounging on her throne, rolled her eyes. She knew what Terra was about to do. He then clapped his hands, "ATTENTION!"

Sora utterly jolted in surprise, bouncing back and landing on his butt. Kairi jumped as well, but she quickly straightened to correct posture and was still as a statue. Riku hardly moved, but straightened himself as well. Sora, realizing his mistake, stood back up with a red face. Aqua felt her composure falter; Sora kept reminding her of Ventus.

Terra continued, "It will be a long time before any of you are ready. A few years training to learn the ways of the Keyblade, and then you will be put to the test for your skills, as I was..."

Sora glanced at Riku. The way Terra put it suddenly stirred up their little ongoing game of who could beat who. Sora felt himself frowning with determination. He was going to beat Riku this time-

"Sora, are you considering quitting now?"

Sora suddenly snapped his head up, "Huh?!" He raised his gaze upward more to find Terra was frowning at him. "U-uh... n-no, sir."

"Sir who?" Terra asked, "I doubt you're talking to Riku."

Sora stood straighter- on his tippy toes in fact -in an effort to be better than Riku, "No Master Terra!" Terra walked away, but snorted lightly at how Sora retained his tiptoed position. Kairi giggled, and Sora smiled at her.

"This reminds me," Terra said. He got in between the boys and Kairi, Sora and Riku suddenly leaning back in fright at how suddenly Terra dropped into quite an intimidating stature, "Neither of you are allowed in Kairi's room." Aqua nodded in approval.

Sora and Riku nodded as Terra walked away again, "Yes Master Terra!"

Terra held out his hand to Aqua, "Does the lady of the castle have anything to add?"

The air grew thick with anticipation and fear as Aqua coldly looked over each student. She then stated, "No one is allowed in the upper wing of the castle. No one is allowed in the room across from mine and Terra's."

Sora suddenly stiffened in guilt, but then he asked, "T-the one with wood walls and plants?" he added softer, "I really liked that one."

Aqua's look was restrained, but Sora took a few steps back anyways.

"_**NO.**_"

* * *

Soraaaa Aqua's really grumpy with you because you keep reminding her of the GUY WHO KINDA ALMOST BUT NOT REALLY DIED FOR HER.


	4. Chapter 4

"So, first things first, here are your rooms." Aqua gestured to a set of bedrooms down the hall from hers, Terra's, and what used to be Ven's. Kairi zipped into one with a smile and began arranging things, while Riku and Sora just grabbed a door, opened it, and flopped onto the beds.

Aqua sighed in the hallway. Sora peeked out of his room, "So... you sure I can't-" He abruptly shut his mouth when Aqua glared at him.

"Oh! There's such a view!" Kairi called from her room.

Riku rolled off his bed and asked, "So when does training begin?"

Aqua held out three sets of belts with stylized heart pins to the three of them, "When you boys get into better outfits and put these on."

Kairi held up her set of straps and grinned, saying jokingly, "So... I actually have a fashion sense?"

Aqua chuckled, "Yes, I suppose so."

Sora and Riku looked at each other. Sora went into his room with an annoyed mutter, "There's bound to be something better in here..."

"The wardrobes are enchanted to give you an outfit this once. Just think of what you want and it'll appear." Aqua added as she turned to leave, "I expect to see you three in the grand hall in a few moments for the official Inheritance Ceremony."

Kairi sauntered after her with her straps across her waist and crossed at the side with the pint at the point of intersection, "We'll be waiting."

Sora poked his head out with a small scowl, "Oh come on!" He went back in and shuffled through all the clothing options he could come up with. He held up a shirt similar to one he'd worn when younger; white with deep blue borders. He threw it on while looking for some red shorts- Right on cue those appeared, and it was then Sora realized he hadn't taken off his previous onesie. He groaned loudly and quickly got undressed and redressed. He felt naked without a light jacket, and then one showed up just for him. He threw it on, noting the asymmetrical-ness of the gray and white sides. He liked it for whatever reason.

He looked himself over, then grabbed the straps, "Okay, what to do with this..." He then noted another set of belts appearing, and grabbed those and crossed them at his waist similar to Kairi. His other straps- with the pin -he held to his chest, "Hmmmm... Nah." He then had an idea, and barged into Riku's room next door, "Hey, Riku-"

"Dude! Getting dressed!" Riku held a set of navy pants that resembled Terra's skirt like pair over his legs.

Sora turned around, "Can I have some help with this?"

Riku put on his pants and walked over, "Okay, you want it on backwards-"

"Criss-cross on the back and backpack style on the front!" Sora explained peppily.

Riku sighed, but listened to Sora's request. A few swears and a few positions that could be interpreted as wrestling later, Sora's straps were on with the pin proudly displayed on his back. He smiled, "Thanks Riku!"

Riku rolled his eyes as he placed his straps across one shoulder and around his waist, "No problem. What would you ever do without me?" Sora looked Riku over; He now had a cream vest with a blackish collat over a dark navy shirt, the straps forming a belt of sorts for the "skirt" he wore. Sora snorted a little, causing Riku to glare at him, "Hey now it's part of a respected Keyblade Master's wardrobe!"

Sora bounded down the hall, "Okay, fine Mr. Skirt-pants!"

Riku ran after him, "It's on thrift-shop reject!"

...

Sora, Riku, and Kairi stood in front of Terra and Aqua, legs slightly apart, perfect posture, hands folded behind their backs. They'd learned well from Terra's previous seminar. Aqua, from her throne, stared at Sora. She wondered how on earth he managed to get a hold of Ven's jacket. It was the exact cut, exact coloring. She composed herself and Aqua and Terra nodded to each other, then rose from their thrones, "We have decided that due to the fact there are two masters in this household, each of you will choose the dominant master to listen to."

The three apprentices exchanged glances.

Aqua and Terra walked down to them, and summoned their Keyblades, "When we call you, please walk up to who you choose to receive the Keyblade from."

Kairi stiffened a little when they called her up. She smiled at Sora and Riku, then walked up to Aqua. Aqua smiled, "Hold out your hands." Kairi did so, and Aqua placed her Keyblade in Kairi's hands. Kairi marveled at the warmth and weight of it while Aqua recited, "In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be." Aqua took her Keyblade back, and Kairi rejoined Sora and Riku's ranks.

"Riku."

Riku quietly walked to Terra, and no one was surprised. Riku held out his hands, and almost dropped Terra's Keyblade when it was placed in them, "In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be." When Riku was about to hand the Keyblade back, Terra suddenly continued from where Aqua had left off, "And you have found me, friend- no ocean will contain you now. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love."

Terra took his Keyblade back, and Riku looked like he was holding back emotion of some kind as he walked back to Kairi and Sora.

"Sora."

To everyone's surprise, Sora walked to Aqua and held out his hands with fierce determination. It seemed as if her telling him "No." only caused him to dig in deeper. "I'll prove to you I'm more than what you think I am." he said softly. After regaining her composure, Aqua placed her Keyblade in his hands, reciting the same poem. When she took her Keyblade back, she blinked in surprise at how it seemed to have changed after such a short time in Sora's hands. Almost as if there was a slight shift in allegiance.

Sora noted her surprise, and did little to hide his pride in already proving Aqua wrong.

* * *

Sora you don't realize it but you've actually made a very big mistake. BIG BIG _BIG_ mistake. Also help me I really really like this AU I should be working on other things adhshfldjn


	5. Chapter 5

Sora couldn't sleep. He was so excited he kept bouncing and pacing in his room. He was pretty sure Riku wouldn't wake up (he was a heavy sleeper, after all). He looked outside his window, but the view looked odd to him. He thought about the forbidden room again. Since he chose Aqua to be his master, he'd probably get extremely harsh punishment for stepping out of line since she already didn't like him much.

It was clear he didn't care about that when he quietly slipped out of his room to visit the forbidden one. He sat down in the middle of it, wrinkling his nose at the dust. He looked around, wondering what was so important about this room and why Aqua didn't want anyone in it. He closed his eyes a moment and drank in the silence. He smiled. This felt like... home.

"I knew you'd be snoozing in here, Sora." Sora jumped and turned to see Kairi in the doorway. She winked, "Don't worry, the Masters aren't in their rooms and I've been keeping watch."

Sora sighed, "Thanks, Kairi."

Kairi smiled, "We're apprentices together here, aren't we?"

Sora smiled back, then turned back to the room, "I don't know why she's so clingy about it. There's nothing special."

Kairi trailed her hand on the doorway as she walked in, "I dunno, maybe someone she loved stayed here." She closed her eyes and pressed herself against a wall, "Maybe it was someone she cared about a whole lot... With all her heart."

"What're you doing, Kai?" Sora asked. He realized he'd shortened her name and quickly apologized, "S-sorry that just came out and-"

Kairi pulled away from the wall, "No, no I like that." She grinned, "Kai has a nice ring to it." Sora smiled as she sat down next to him. The two let time pass in silence, drinking in the room before the sun came up and and their master chased them away.

"I... can't explain it." Kairi whispered after a time.

Sora tilted his head, "Explain what?"

Kairi held up her hands, "I... I can kind of... feel things, you know?" she gestured to the room, "Like whoever lived here was very loved. He was happy here."

"You can tell they're a he?" Sora asked.

Kairi nodded, and closed her eyes, "A bright light... laughter..." she smiled, "A prankster, too."

"That's really cool." Sora said, leaning over.

Kairi leaned away, "Not really. When I was younger I'd just spout out everything and I got in trouble a lot."

Sora shrugged and moved back, "I think it's cool."

Kairi tucked some of her hair back with an awkward smile. Sora turned to the window, then laughed and stood up, "Is that?!" he knelt on the bed and pressed his hand to the window- deja vu nagged at his mind as he exclaimed, "A meteor shower!"

He ran off, "Come on Kai! We gotta see it!"

Kairi stood and chased after him, "Sora, we'll get in trouble!"

Sora turned around and grabbed her hands, "We're already in trouble! Now come on!"

Outside the castle, Sora looked around, "Hmm, can't see much here..."

Kairi brushed her hair back again with a smile and a sigh, "Sora..."

Sora dragged her down another path, "This way!"

Kairi ran with him, managing to keep up, "Sora, we might get lost!"

Sora obviously wasn't paying much attention, "Don't worry, I know the way!" He couldn't explain it, but he DID know the way. He was feeling an odder and odder sense of having been here before the longer he stayed at the Land of Departure. He stopped suddenly when he saw Terra and Aqua sitting at the cliff he was guiding Kairi towards.

"Sora-"

"SHH!" Sora turned and pointed at Terra and Aqua. Kairi then nodded.

"...he's so much like him." Sora drifted them towards Terra and Aqua to listen in on their conversation, crouching behind a bench and straining their ears.

"I don't know if I can handle this, Terra."

"Aqua, he's just really similar. Quit shoving him out and maybe he'll be different..."

"No, Terra, he has Ven's eyes..."

Kairi and Sora looked at each other. 'It's _HIM_.' Kairi mouthed.

"...and he even picked Ventus's jacket! It's like he's trying to taunt me!"

"Shhh... He's not, how's he supposed to know who Ven is?"

Sora felt himself blinking slowly. His brain was getting all fuzzed up from hearing that name. "Sora?" Kairi shook him, "Sora are you okay?" Sora shook his head, then nodded.

"I just..." Kairi and Sora frowned at each other when Aqua began sobbing, "It's no fair...! Yen Sid said by now Ventus would... H-he'd b-be... He'd be awake!" It was chilling and painful to hear someone so cold break down so fast, "I want Ventus back! I want him back so we can be together again!" Kairi and Sora assumed this meant Ventus was Aqua's lover, before she wailed, "I want my baby boy back...!"

Terra had no reply, leaving Sora and Kairi to look at each other in silence. "I never thought..." Sora began before he stared at his lap.

Kairi was covering her mouth, starting to cry herself, "Grief is a powerful thing to a mother."

They jolted at Terra finally saying something, "I think... that maybe we can have him back." Kairi's alarmed look was the most disturbing thing Sora had ever seen as Terra continued, "Sora... Sora might not be just similar-"

"Don't give me that garbage!" Aqua yelled, "There's no chance that Sora-"

"There IS a chance, Aqua." Terra corrected her, "We may have just won the lottery."

Kairi grabbed Sora's hand, "We have to get you out of here! Who knows what they're thinking?!"

Sora nodded, and the two began running. Except Sora- in his rush -banged into a light pole and gave away their presence.

...

Master Aqua's fury was a sight to behold the next morning.

"Faster, Sora!" she barked at the boy.

Sora continued pushing against the ground, arms on fire and refusing to move to his master's pace, "Y-yes Master Aqua!"

Kairi, meanwhile, rounded a corner and collapsed on the ground, "That's... ten laps... around the castle... grounds... Master... Aqua."

Aqua nodded callously, "I hope that is a lesson to you not to eavesdrop on my private conversations. You are dismissed." Kairi picked herself up and began shuffling back inside, but she paused. Sora was still doing his 1000 assigned push-ups. He looked miserable, and ready to collapse like a leaf in the wind. "Faster." Aqua hissed.

Sora nodded, "Y... Ye... Yeah." He only slowed, prompting Aqua to lightly kick him. He sped up after that.

He and Kairi met gazes. Kairi had never felt so much suffering in one glance. "M-Master Aqua," she bowed, "permission to make a request?"

Aqua's voice was flat, "You may."

Kairi didn't mince her words, "I feel like Sora has been punished enough." She hardly shied away from Aqua's glare, only meeting it just as fierce, "He's learned his lesson."

Aqua walked away, "Sora, you are done for today."

Sora collapsed. Kairi ran to him, scared of how still he was, "Sora? Sora?!"

Sora gave her a weak thumbs up.

* * *

Yeah if it's not clear already Aqua's ready to give Sora hell for anything.


	6. Chapter 6

Terra turned and tilted his head at Kairi and Sora walking in, "Was Aqua really that rough with you?" He looked off to the side, mumbling, "We agreed we wouldn't push you unnecessarily hard today..."

Riku only sniffed at the two, "That's what you get when you eavesdrop."

Sora glared at him as he went back to focusing on... Something. He then quipped, "Well, at least I don't look constipated." Riku glared at Sora back before Terra coughed a little. Riku went back to whatever he was focusing on, and Terra walked over to Sora and Kairi. "So, have you received any instruction-"

"Told me to do ten laps around the castle grounds and I saved Sora from a couple hundred more push ups." Kairi explained.

Terra nodded, "Okay then." He mumbled to himself some more about Aqua. After a few more minutes in thought, he waved them along, "Well, what was supposed to be today's lesson was an attempt at summoning your Keyblades, instead of getting punished for listening in on our private conversation last night." Kairi nodded and hopped along obediently, but Sora seemed to be caught in a silent mouth off with Riku, both of the boys taunting each other as Terra continued, "So your assignment is to be able to summon your own Keyblade today. Over... Well, the amount of time this lesson takes- could be just today, could be months -depends solely on how well the Keyblade has accepted your heart."

Riku withdrew his attention from his bickering with Sora to sigh, "You act like it's sentient."

Terra paused, then said, "In a sense it is."

Kairi nodded, "It... It was warm. When I held it I felt a kind of... Presence." Sora and Riku looked at each other, aware of the feeling as well. Both of their expressions read as relief that they weren't crazy.

Terra smiled, "Good, glad to see someone is picking up on the lesson."

"Excuse me!" Riku snapped.

Terra sighed, "You keep acting like it will just come to you-"

"That's how you explained it-"

"The way you're expecting it is like you push a button and it happens, and that will be after some degrees of familiarity." Terra interrupted, "For now, just wait, be patient, focus. Think of it as a feral dog. Extend your hand, and if it wants to appear, let it appear; if not, don't force it."

Riku rolled his eyes and continued pouting as the oh so important blade refused to do his bidding.

Kairi did as Terra instructed, smiling happily, "Come on, I won't bite." A flicker of laughter appeared with a hazy outline of something, but it vanished, "Oh darn!"

Terra patted her shoulder, "That was good. Very good." Riku began cursing under his breath. He was not used to being beaten, let alone by a girl.

Sora observed the two with vague interest. He didn't know why it was so hard. He held out his hands, remembering the warmth from holding Aqua's Keyblade. He smiled, mulling over the feeling like it had liked him somehow-

The Keyblade that appeared seemed to be made of haphazardly melded bronze in some sort of abstract wing shape, meant to be back hand wielded, before quickly snapping into a silver key with a yellow, boxy handle that seemed to be a more straightforward sword type weapon in another burst of light.

Terra's face went pale and taut. He forced himself to smile, "Well! Sora's managed to do it." His mind was reeling. Ven's Keyblade, what on earth was Sora doing with Ven's Keyblade? He ignored Sora crowing to Riku and Kairi about accomplishing what the other two had failed at, too busy being relieved and alarmed by this new development.

Sora swung his Keyblade around a bit, marveling at the feeling or a warmth that belonged to him and no one else, "Heh, I did it." He tried holding it back handed, but found that it wasn't quite his style and the balance was off. He'd grown up with play swords and games of rescue as the hero; backhanded was reserved for driftwood knives and thief-like minions. He then tilted his head, murmuring, "Kingdom Key... Huh."

"That'd be the name of the Keychain you're using." Terra said, finally composing himself, "_Your_ Keychain. A Keyblade no one but you can use unless you allow it."

Sora turned the tip of the blade to his feet and fingered the Keychain, "Huh, so these give it different appearances?"

"In just about every case," Terra began as he pulled one out of his pocket. He then attached it to his Keyblade, turning it into a drastically different form, "yes. Abilities can change too, but the first and original appearance is often what feels the most natural to you to use."

Sora stared at his Keyblade again. This wasn't its first appearance, "But Master, what was that other one-"

"Don't bother yourself about it." Terra said softly. He raised his voice to instruct Kairi and Riku, "Now, you two still got a ways to go, so get focused!"

Sora flipped it around a bit, testing the balance of it once more. He began experimenting with swings and strokes, finding that it was different from the wooden sword he was used to. He tried bending it to see if it had any give, and eventually wound up balancing on it without any sign of strain. When Sora was on his feet again, he muttered, "Keyblades are weird."

He stuck around to see how far Kairi and Riku would get, and found that while Kairi managed to get hers fully summoned, it was only for a blink. Riku had no luck, getting only wisps that preempted his appearing, but nothing more. The lessons for the day ended, and the three began heading back to their quarters.

Sora lingered behind. He watched Terra rub the wood of the center throne lovingly and sadly. Sora thought a moment; Terra and Aqua never really sat in that one, did they? He then quietly walked over, and silently waited for Terra to notice.

Terra only kept staring at the throne, and his question sounded uncharacteristically quiet and tired, "What, Sora?"

Sora made a quick bow then asked, "Master Terra," he paused, "...who was Ventus?"

Terra's hand clenched into a fist. Sora bit his lip. He hoped he didn't ask the wrong question. Terra then bowed his head as his eyes teared up, and said, "He was... Someone very important to us."

Sora summoned his Keyblade for support, still feeling awkward and cautious with the warmth and solidity, and asked, "So, uh, w-was it a miscarriage-"

Terra snapped his head up, "What?!"

Sora backpedaled, "I-I thought he was your kid-"

"No, no!" Terra laughed, "No, Ven wasn't..." He covered his face as he laughed more, wiping up a few tears, "No, Ventus wasn't our child." Sora tilted his head when Terra elaborated in a more somber tone, "Not biologically..."

Sora felt an ache in his heart, "You were friends?"

Terra nodded, "Yeah. Before..." He stopped himself, then changed the topic slightly, "He was a kid about your age. Blue eyes, blond hair that was tousled daily with supportive pats, kind and daring..." Terra looked at Sora. Aqua was right, those were Ven's eyes, and it hurt so much to realize just how similar the two were, "He was a lot like you. You might as well be related."

"Oh," Sora whispered. He stared at his feet. No wonder Aqua kept attacking him. It wasn't just an exaggeration, he _was_ Ventus in a sense, and she bitterly resented it. Sora looked back up to see Terra intently watching him, "Um... What happened to him?"

Terra began walking away, "He's..." He thought over how to explain it, then said simply, "Asleep."

Sora shifted around, "Heh, uh, i-is that an euphemism...?"

Terra was gone, leaving him no answer.

...

Sora scribbled absently on a piece of paper. He was sure he'd seen that first Keyblade before; he'd DRAWN it before, he realized as his sketch came to a close. He fluttered his lips in annoyance as he stared at the sketch, then went to another corner of the paper and began sketching out a portrait-

"Still doodling, I see."

Sora lifted his head and stilled his pencil, "Oh, heya Riku." He turned back to his drawing and made a few strokes that evolved into a set of smiling eyes, "Yeah."

Riku sat next to him and watched, "So how was Master Aqua today?" He looked smug, "I hear it was a real blast." Sora sighed and shook his head, but continued drawing; a smile developed, wide and genuine. Riku silently watched as the hair developed into a short, sporty cut about shoulder length, and blinked in surprise, "Is that her?"

Sora leaned back a little, then blinked himself, "Yeah." He tilted his head, "She looks... Younger." Sora looked at it closer, "About ten years younger."

"That's oddly specific." Riku commented. He shrugged, "I guess smiling can do wonders like that if you're constantly so grumpy."

"It was just a guess," Sora claimed offhandedly. He looked around for a bit, then smiled as he managed to find push pins. He grabbed his drawing and pinned it to the wall, then looked around for his old clothes, "Hmmm. It should be around here..." He smiled as he pulled out the folded remnant of the ticket to this opportunity, "There we are!" He pinned that drawing up as well, "I should start up giving this room my personality."

Riku shrugged, "Fine, litter your room with your dream drawings." He waltzed out, "Don't blame me if they kick you out for being crazy."

Sora watched him leave, then turned back to his drawings. He wasn't crazy. He was pretty sure he wasn't psychic either, though... He pulled out another sheet and began drawing again, this time the pair of frantic blue eyes framed by gold he had seen in last night's dream.

* * *

nyoom nice guy Terra woo hoo. Also, sorry Riku, the Keyblade doesn't like haughty jerkwads like you.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day was proper instruction from Aqua, rather than being thrown into the lion's den like yesterday. Kairi had managed to summon her Keyblade completely on her own- it looked frail and delicate, full of flowers on a sunset rod with waves and sand at the hilt. It was rather obvious she liked it, "It's stronger than it looks, ya know? Like me."

Sora shrugged, "I guess." He was honestly too preoccupied by how his Keyblade was the only one to take on two forms.

"Attention, both of you." Aqua said. Sora and Kairi turned their attention on their Master, their idle chatter dwindling until it was lost among the quiet roar of the waterfall behind Aqua, and the drips deeper into the cavern behind them.

The young woman cleared her throat, then began speaking, "Now I understand you may have been told occasionally to make your mind a still pond when you need to focus." Sora watched her effortlessly twirl her Keyblade a bit- it was almost as if she wasn't thinking about it as the blade formed its own graceful loops in the air, "However, while it is a great metaphor to use when thinking over droll philosophy when you have a lifetime to find your answer, I discourage the use when faced with split second decisions." There was a loud thwack as Aqua's Keyblade landed in her opposite palm.

Sora and Kairi stiffened, wincing at the noise.

Aqua nodded. Her hand ached, and she realized she had brought her Keyblade down too hard. Still, she had little reaction to this as she quietly pointed to the waterfall behind her, "I find that a pond doesn't have as much purpose, driving force, or focus, as a waterfall."

Sora nodded absently; a lot of this seemed to be going nowhere from his perspective. Kairi was the one who openly objected, "Master Aqua-"

"The point of this is to get across the mindset you need as a Keyblade Master." Aqua explained before Kairi even really asked, "You can't always have all the time in the world to think over a solution." She drew her keyblade back in; Sora noted it was like a hugging gesture, "Thinking for the sake of thinking could put everything you are trying to save on the line."

"Yeah, but what ARE we trying to save?" Sora asked quietly, finally finding a debate he felt was worth inciting. He knew the answer already, of course; your friends and family then go down the line to include everyone. After all, if you couldn't keep your friends and family safe- the people who really mattered -then how could you keep anyone or thing safe? He felt a small nagging sadness in the back of his head for thinking so when he remembered the Terra and Aqua had lost Ventus, with all the implications being that they could have stopped whatever had transpired.

Aqua paused. The words she wanted to say- "our friends, our family, the people we care about! " -sprung to her lips, but she only clamped down on them until she said stiffly, "The balance and peace among the worlds. There is a reason they are separate-"

"Oh! My grandma told me the story!" Kairi piped up, "It's because the true light that once held them together is in the darkness, and the worlds we live in now were made from the light in the hearts of children!" When finished with her synopsis, she rocked back on her heels with a proud smile.

Sora tilted his head at Kairi, "Haven't heard that one-"

"That is because," Aqua cut back in, taking the reins away from Sora and Kairi, "it is a legend passed down to very few people. Only ones that are aware of the separation." She looked at Kairi pointedly, "Your grandmother was very special to know." Aqua then added her own commentary, "But that is a very, very, very condensed version of the tale, and the rest of the details will be covered later on in your lessons when we begin going over the history of the Keyblade."

Sora shrugged, "Eh, I've already learned somethin' new."

Aqua glared at him. She then turned around and walked towards the waterfall, "Now, I'm sure you two still remember where I was?"

"Somethin' 'bout ponds and waterfalls." Sora's voice had a honest ring to it.

"You were discussing the advantages in imagining your mind as a waterfall rather than a still pond to focus it." Kairi said a little louder as she she stared at Sora incredulously.

Aqua held out her blade and let the water run past it, "Yes. Now, does a waterfall decide to meander down the mountainside? Does it lazily let the water fill the rivers and lakes below?"

"No," Sora said as he scratched at his ear.

"It moves decisively and purposefully down the fastest way to a larger body of water." Kairi elaborated, finally accepting that Sora wasn't one for philosophical matters or any intelligent debate. At least, not outwardly.

Aqua dismissed her Keyblade and substituted her hand. Already she felt the blissful numbness of cold and saw her fingertips turning rosy, "Exactly, Kairi." She grew distant after the comment, though. Letting herself slip away onto the cold-

"Master Aqua?"

Aqua withdrew her hand, noting its sting as feeling and warmth returned, "What, Sora?"

Sora drew himself a little taller, "You're acting like one is better."

"One is better." Aqua replied.

Sora leaned around a bit, "Hmmmm, not really." He then pulled his hands behind his head, "If you think about it, they're really just two different ways to go about the same thing."

"Sora!" Kairi hissed, noting Aqua's glare.

Sora continued, "I mean, a pond knows what it's supposed to be doing: sitting there and supporting the life in it. It's still and nurturing, and should be used for such. A waterfall knows what it's doing, but that force is more destructive. It's just focused on moving forward, getting from one place to the other. Good for combat and emergencies, I guess, but a lot can go wrong if you let yourself get so rash. A pond can support and think of many, a waterfall can't."

He seemed to be making a point as he met Aqua's gaze just as fierce as her, "While focused, while powerful, no matter how much of either it has you can't grow anything in those waters." He then looked away, towards a direction where he knew Terra and taken Riku, "Then again, a pond can grow stagnant. If you don't give it enough to do, or any wind to stir it, it'll fill with algae and become a festering mess."

He then gave Aqua a sideways glance, "Honestly, if you ask me, you're a waterfall, and Terra's a pond, and both of you have let yourselves become passive, stale, and dead."

There was nothing but the sound of rushing water and droplets as Sora's ringing words vanished from the air. Kairi's jaw had fallen off, and she was caught in shock's grip. She didn't expect Sora to be so bold (well, maybe she did now that she mulled it over but not to this degree) nor so concise with his argument. She wanted to praise him, but there was Aqua staring at him with something vaguely disapproving that made her sit there quietly.

Aqua was furious. She was heartbroken. She was... Oddly _happy_. She felt proud that Sora had managed to make such a statement. She felt satisfied with how easily Sora managed to grab both sides and find a good and a bad. But honestly it was buried under how ticked off she was with Sora being so affront and blunt about the matter that tied into her and Terra. It especially set herself boiling when he mentioned Terra.

Sora gnawed on his cheek, wondering if that was an absent droplet or a bead of sweat going down his brow. That was an incredibly stupid thing to say, now that he thought of it. Got too caught in the moment to realize what he was saying. Master Aqua was sure to boot him all the way back home for his words.

But to his surprise, and Kairi's, Aqua only whispered, "Sora, you are dismissed from today's lesson."

Sora sat there a moment with wide eyes, before he carefully made his way towards the cave's exit, "Uh... Y-yes..." He knew he was making another mistake, but he addressed his master as just, "Aqua."

He was stunned again when she only said, "Master, Sora. Master Aqua."

Sora stopped, then turned to her and bowed, "Should I go see Master Terra?"

"Yes."

Sora looked up to see that Aqua was crying, presuming that no one could see with her back turned to Kairi.

...

"Now, exhale," Terra said, calm and slow as he directed his movements. Riku mirrored with a huffy sort of sigh, wondering what Aqua was doing with Sora and Kairi. Surely it wasn't as boring as Terra's "Qigong" lessons along with sleep inducing speeches about duty and all that other grown up stuff.

Terra shifted stances again, "Riku, that wasn't exactly a proper breath."

"I'm not learning anything." Riku replied as he once again mirrored Terra.

Terra continued on, "Really? Why is that?"

Riku followed dutifully, but the edge of sarcasm and bitterness to his voice made the contradiction between the two obvious, "We're just moving slowly, breathing a whole lot, and you're monologuing."

"Yes," Terra slowly swept his hand down and shifted his stance, "but what am I 'monologuing' about, Riku?"

Riku copied Terra at a much faster rate, "Chivalry. The stuff of fairy tales and knights. Duty, honor, responsibility and all that."

"And?" Terra asked.

Riku was thrown off by the question, "And what?"

Terra finally changed stances, "And how is that not learning anything?"

Riku paused. He then realized he needed to move on in the form, and did so while thinking. "Well," he said after awhile, "It should be basic human nature. It should be automatic to treat people the way you want to be treated and do the things you need to do."

Terra nodded and gently clawed at the air, "But it isn't, is it? There's still crime out there among other worlds, I'm sure."

Riku mulled it over, realizing his mistake in his argument. After a moment, he conceded, "Yeah," his voice took a growling tone when he said, "but the people who act on selfish desire like that are weak."

"Hey! Riku! Master Terra!"

Both master and pupil looked to see Sora running down the hill towards them. The boy was winded when he finally got down to them, but he managed to explain why he was there, "M-master Aqua... Dismissed me."

Terra stood in a fluid gesture and extended his hand to gesture to Riku, who decided to remain in his pose, "I was teaching Riku an exercise to slow himself down and meditate. I know Aqua is officially-"

"Sure! I'd love to join you!" Sora said, observing Riku and copying him.

Terra sighed, but smiled and said, "Actually since you arrived, I figured we would start completely over." Riku groaned as he and Sora stood. Terra glared at him, "I've been putting up with your attitude all morning, Riku. I think you need an adjustment." Riku only folded his arms like a pouting child, prompting Terra to add, "There's only 75 individual stances-"

"75?!" Riku's arms snapped to his sides.

"Yes," Terra said dryly "and we covered about 40."

...

Riku collapsed onto his bed, "I swear if I had to be any more still-"

"Wasn't that bad, Riku." Sora said as he plopped down next to him, "I thought it was pretty relaxing."

"But we weren't DOING anything!" Riku sighed, "I thought I'd have my Keyblade by now and learning how to fight with it!"

"Well, if it makes you feel any better me and Kairi just sat there while Aqua went on about metaphors." Sora shrugged, "Why are you so anxious to get on with things anyways?"

Riku snapped at him, "I'm not. I just want to protect what matters."

He neglected to add that what mattered was sitting right next to him.

* * *

woooooo training is really beginning! Poor Riku; you haven't had the character development that made you a decent guy yet.


	8. Chapter 8

Days turned into weeks as the young disciples of the Keyblade studied on and on.

Riku still had trouble summoning his Keyblade, and unfortunately there was nothing Terra could do about it. Terra took up a responsibility to teach Riku anyways, though, and after a day or two gave him a wooden Keyblade to use. The funny thing was he seemed awfully reluctant to make it and just as reluctant to give it, which caused Riku to rant to Sora and Kairi about how "weak" his master was being. Riku was growing continually impatient and disillusioned with everything, wondering why nothing in his dream come true seemed to be going anywhere.

Meanwhile Kairi and Sora still had to deal with a teacher who was not exactly collected enough to care much about teaching them. Kairi made a habit of picking Master Aqua flowers and giving them to her, but the gift often went unnoticed and Kairi would find wilted flowers within the hour. Aqua's outbursts of anger to Sora were thin and sparse, but still an unforgettable event when she let it out. Slightly less so when Kairi or Terra was around to convince her to ease up. When she found out that Sora and Kairi continually visited each other at night in Ven's old room, she utterly lost it. The room was now locked, and Sora and Kairi were now forbidden from seeing each other (which now placed Kairi's lessons in the morning and Sora's in the afternoon).

Riku collapsed on his bed, a little battered and bruised from a sparring session. There was a knock and he yelled, "Fine, come in, not like I want time alone."

"Hey Riku." Sora said glumly and flopped down next to him.

Riku sighed, "Gosh what's got you all bummed out?"

Sora leaned forward and put his chin in his hands, "Master Aqua still hates me and I'm apparently not doing as good as Kairi. But who knows how true that is."

"Master Aqua's being an awful you-know-what to you." Riku said. He scratched his chin a little afterwards.

Sora looked at Riku, "Uh, actually I dunno what you mean."

Riku looked back at him, "A word our parents wouldn't let us say? A witch with a different letter-"

"Riku!" Sora gasped, "Dude, watch your language!"

"Jeez, defending your abusive master." Riku only callously sighed, "What a doormat."

"I am not a doormat!" Sora snapped at him. He stared at his lap, "I'm just not in a position to fight back."

"You're always able to fight back." Riku said, staring at the ceiling, "The only thing holding you back is you."

"It's a matter of respect, Riku. Something you obviously don't have." Sora stood from the bed, "All I see you do with Master Terra is whine about how things aren't going your way-"

"Keep in mind this was supposed to be just me!" Riku sat up and yelled, "I was supposed to be the only one training here! I was the one who was truly chosen and not a last minute tag along!" Riku ignored Sora's faltering look as he continued on, "I was supposed to be the star pupil! The one with a Keyblade already and not lagging further and further behind a lazy idiot like YOU!"

After a moment of letting his words sink in, Riku suddenly realized Sora was crying. He didn't know what to say as Sora shook his head and rushed out the door, slamming it behind him with a sobbing "I HATE YOU!"

Riku fell back against his bed. Guilt stirred up but he kept telling himself it was Sora's fault. Telling himself he wasn't to blame it was everyone else.

Another knock, softer and a little more hesitant, "Riku? Is everything okay with you and Sora?"

"Not really." Riku shot back at Kairi, sounding as cocky and flippant as he always did even with the black hole opening in his stomach.

Kairi opened the door, "I thought you two were friends. That looked like a really big argument."

"We were friends, I guess. Not anymore." Riku suddenly sat up and turned to the window, "No big deal-"

"No big deal? You two grew up together!" Kairi exclaimed. She sat down next to him and held his shoulder, "Riku, I don't think-"

"I'm fine and I don't need a sissy like you telling me otherwise." Riku snapped and shoved her off of him.

Kairi abruptly stood, and Riku never looked back to see the angry, betrayed look on her face as she stormed out and firmly shut the door behind her. Riku was alone. Maybe he preferred it that way.

...

Kairi waltzed around a little irritably in her room. It was annoying enough not being able to console Sora on the matter- she'd seen him run into his room utterly bawling -but having Riku act so callous about it was downright maddening.

She fiddled with her necklace, then her belt, then pulled out her bun, then began cleaning up her room with a fiery need to just slam things into drawers and baskets. There was a knock, and she snapped, "Riku I don't want to see you and if you're Sora forget about it!"

Master Aqua walked in, "Kairi, I heard Sora yelling is everything-"

"Oh sure, it's fine it's utterly fine!" Kairi lamented, "I sure know what's going on with Sora with me being completely banished from his presence and Riku's acting like a completely unhelpful jerk about whatever happened! Sure! Things are fine!" When Kairi stopped, she stood there in the middle of the room, trying to hold back angry tears as her fist clenched around a piece of paper. She watched her feet as she added softer, "I haven't been able to see Sora, you're still taking out your grief on him, yeah, everything's fine."

Aqua walked over and hugged her, "It's okay."

"Not really." Kairi whined.

Aqua sighed. She then pulled away after a moment, "I'm going to go work out what happened between Riku and Sora. I'm sorry that I can't console you more than this but I will come back and talk with you about what you said, okay?" Kairi nodded and Aqua walked back out.

She turned to Terra, "I'll see to Riku and you take care of Sora, okay?"

Terra nodded and the two parted ways.

* * *

This is the first chapter in a hella lot of updates because for whatever reason I got a burst of WRITE THIS AND THIS AND THAT over the weekend.

Oh poor babbus, stress is building up


	9. Chapter 9

Aqua knocked on Riku's door, prompting an angry yell from the boy, "I don't want to see either of you!"

"Riku, what happened?" Aqua asked as she walked in.

Riku stiffened, but sounded as cheeky as he always did, "Oh look. Now I'm gonna get that 'Master Aqua special' Sora keeps talking about."

Aqua only asked again, "What happened?"

Riku sighed, "I said some things and Sora took it all too seriously."

"Like what?"

"Called him an idiot." Riku muttered.

"In what context?" Aqua asked again, her voice getting a little more firm. She could tell Riku was dodging things.

Riku finally stopped beating around the bush and got to the heart of his issues, "It was supposed to be just me, wasn't it?"

Aqua fingered her sleeve, "...yes."

"It was supposed to be just me and I was going to be the star pupil and everything was going to be a dream come true, wasn't it?" Riku continued bitterly.

"I suppose." Aqua agreed again. She suddenly realized exactly where Riku was coming from, then sat down next to him, "A long, long time ago, when I was so young and new to being a Keyblade Master I occasionally forgot that I was one, there was a boy."

Riku barely reacted to Aqua's story, but he listened intently.

"The boy's name was Ventus. He trained alongside me and Terra..." Aqua wondered why she was telling Riku the story as she continued on, weaving the tale that led to where everyone was now. She told a story that Riku eventually realized was the stemming point of all her anger and grief, and told him why she and him were really not that different when they lashed out at others because of feelings they didn't want to acknowledge.

...

Meanwhile Terra was astounded by Sora yet again. The boy's room was filled with drawings of all sorts of little scenes and characters Terra had all but forgotten about until now. He picked a drawing of a black haired and grinning young man off the wall, "Zack..."

Sora- who until he heard Terra's voice had been curled up and crying -looked up and wiped at his eye, "You know him?"

Terra was consumed in nostalgia and completely forgot about what he was supposed to be doing as he sat down on Sora's bed, "Yeah, I..." He couldn't finish.

Sora chuckled a little, "He... He wants to be a hero, right?"

"Yeah." Terra laughed. He looked at the rest, lifting his hand and muttering the names of people and places under his breath. He suddenly realized how lonely it'd been as just him and Aqua. He picked off another drawing of a set of dueling men, "Here's Peter and Hook..." Another with a girl holding up a pink dress, "Cinderella..." A little regretful at the sight of a young woman caught in sleep and another fleeing through woods, "Aurora... Snow White..."

He leaned back, "How did you know all this?"

"I dunno, I just get dreams. They're my inspiration." Sora said, leaning back into his pillows and drying up his eyes, "They feel more like memories sometimes, like I'd already seen all this before."

"They might be." Terra said as he began putting all the drawings back, "These people... I knew them a few years back."

Sora looked at Terra, "You act like you haven't seen them in awhile."

Terra continued looking at the drawings, "Yeah... I never really went back out to the other worlds after..." He stopped. Sora didn't need to know the details of what had happened to them, "Aqua never wanted to go out and catch up on anyone, and I didn't really want to leave her side."

Sora nodded, as if understanding, and then peeled back a few drawings. He pulled off a small portrait of a smiling boy, "This... This was Ven, right?"

Terra held the drawing firm and gentle, as if it was going to disintegrate in his hands. He blinked off a tear and wiped it up, "Yeah..." It'd been so long since Terra had seen anything resembling Ventus as he was besides memory, but the drawing was a whole new sense of wistful hope.

Sora smiled, "You can keep that."

Terra carefully folded it into his pocket, then suddenly remembered what he needed to do, "Oh, uh, Sora... Why exactly were you crying?"

A pang of loss flickered across Sora's face before becoming a more restrained frown, "Me and Riku aren't friends anymore... I guess."

Terra leaned in, "Why is that?"

Sora leaned back and folded his arms, "Well, he... He got really mad and said some things that were really mean."

Terra sighed, "Yeah, he seems pretty disillusioned with how things are going."

"He called me an idiot and a last minute tag along and a doormat." Sora folded his arms and moped.

Terra thought it all over, then said, "Well, you are a last minute tag along, but I wouldn't say an idiot or a doormat."

Sora nodded, but curled in again, "You know, if Master Aqua wasn't so strong and in charge, I wouldn't put up with what she's doing to me."

Terra stroked his back, "Yeah, same here." He sighed and shook his head, "I keep telling her she shouldn't take it out on you but you're just such an easy target, ya know? She feels like you're the worlds laughing at her; laughing that she couldn't save anyone. I'd make a counter or two, but do it judiciously; don't go overboard."

Sora began crying again, "Does she hate me?" Terra had no response. Sora then looked up at Terra, "And she did save someone. She saved you."

Terra was silent, but then he stood and left the room, "Well, that's all I needed to know..."

* * *

And we get both sides of Riku and Sora, along with a little masterly bonding, woo~


	10. Chapter 10

After finding out what had happened from the three individually, Terra and Aqua decided that maybe an apology was owed to each of them, and gathered the trio in the hall outside their rooms.

Riku looked mad with his arms folded and gaze focused on the wall, but he said softly, "Sorry for lashing out at you, Sora."

Sora shuffled his feet and clenched his hands behind his back as he sheepishly apologized, "Sorry for saying I hated you."

Even Kairi needed to say something, "Sorry for prying so much, Riku."

Aqua nodded, "There, does anyone else have anything to say?"

Riku held out his hand, "I really am sorry, Sora. I've just been pretty frustrated recently."

Sora shook it, "Don't be so mean again, okay?"

Kairi joined in the handshake, "You boys need a lady to balance you out, okay? Don't be afraid to tell me anything." The three smiled at each other and laughed.

Terra nodded approvingly and left. Aqua was about to leave before she added, "Sora, Kairi, you two are allowed to see each other again. I was acting on my emotions and I apologize." She left before anyone could say anything.

Riku brought Sora and Kairi into his room, "Hey, were you two aware of Ven-"

"Yeah, me and Sora heard the Masters talking about him awhile ago." Kairi said, "Apparently he was their chi-"

"Actually," Sora stopped her, "Ventus was their friend. He was just younger than them and acted so childish they latched onto him like a mom and dad."

"Oh, really?" Kairi asked, "Well, that clears it up."

"Yeah." Riku said. He leaned in, and his voice hushed, "But were you two aware he's actually not dead?"

"What? A ghost? No way, Riku that's impossible." Kairi sighed, "I thought out of anyone here Sora was the gullible one-"

"Hey!" Sora whined.

Riku shook his head, "Aqua told me all about what had happened." Kairi and Sora looked at each other. Riku continued, "Turns out, he's right at the top of the castle. Sleeping. No heart."

"That can't happen." Sora said, "You can't be asleep without a heart. With no heart, you're dead, didn't they tell us about that?"

"But here's the thing," Riku explained, "His heart had shattered, and it went somewhere else, like, little fragments ended up in other places."

Kairi figured she'd be another voice of reason, "Riku this sounds like a fairy tale-"

"Okay then." Riku said, "One of us should go up there tonight-"

Sora instantly shot his hand up, "I know where it is, I tried going up there our first day!"

Kairi nodded, "But Master Aqua-"

"She already has a bad opinion of me, and I don't want her getting cold towards either of you guys." Sora said firmly, "So I'm going up there."

Riku nodded, "Okay then, you can tell us about it tomorrow."

...

Sora could only see a few feet in front of him in the dim moonlight. The stairs were precarious at midnight, so he grabbed onto the railing like it was salvation. He looked out a window and quickly regretted seeing that he was so high up. He steeled himself, then continued walking up-

He stopped when he realized the ground was glowing. A soft, ethereal light the made up the image of chains that seemed to pulse and beckon him. He looked down the stairs. No one was following him. He continued on, noting the light was getting brighter, until he stopped at a door. There were two emblems similar to the pin he had gotten from Aqua adorning the doors.

Sora looked behind himself again. He kept thinking that just maybe Aqua was going to know and wondering that if this place really was so important... He shook his head, and cracked open the door.

The room was empty, well lit and bright, with more chain designs reaching towards the center of the room. Sora closed the door behind him and walked forward, whispering in awe, "Wow, you were right Riku..."

The boy asleep on the only thing in the room- a simple throne just as blank white as the rest -couldn't have been anyone but Ventus. He looked better in person than through drawings going off of fleeting dreams- his hair was soft and slightly curled, skin pale and unblemished, almost a little glowing, lips curled in a soft echo of a smile. His eyes were almost closed, but Sora could see blue that was dim and lifeless.

Sora reached out and touched his cold armor, "Uh, hey, can you wake up?"

No response.

"Um... I-I'm Sora..." Sora slapped his cheek a little, noting that was cold as well, "Ventus! Hey, Ven! Wake up!"

Was Sora nothing but a barely felt breeze to the boy? Sora slapped Ven's cheek a little harder, shook him a little and then harder for that as well. Finally he then grabbed Ven's hand and felt for a pulse.

"...!"

Nothing.

Sora backed away, "So you really don't..." He frowned at the ache in his heart- he assumed it was pity, "You must be awfully lonely... Are you sad?"

Ventus seemed to move a little more, but Sora figured that was him imagining things.

He held a hand to his heart and said again, "My name is Sora," he felt so odd talking to what was basically a semi-alive corpse, "do you wanna be friends?"

* * *

(dramatization of Sora's thought process) AWWWW Ven's a... corpse dear god I'm talking to a not-quite-dead-person


	11. Chapter 11

The revelations Sora brought back to Kairi and Riku were surprising, but quickly ignored when they realized there was really nothing besides such. There was a boy asleep at the top of the castle. Little creepy, but otherwise not of much note, especially when Riku elaborated on the story and pointed out that if Terra and Aqua hadn't found Ven's heart in ten years, there wasn't much they could do to help. No one breathed a word of it either, presuming telling the masters their newly found knowledge would be akin to walking up to a sleeping dragon by kicking it in the nose.

It might be amused such a tiny thing tried such an act, or more likely it would char them on the spot.

About a week later the apprentices were sparring and receiving instruction and observation from Terra and Aqua. Aqua observed them carefully at first, but then she began drifting away. Her attention wandered back to older days and she began twirling her Keyblade experimentally; she didn't do her baton-twirling-esque techniques as much as she used to.

She threw a single, catching it easily. After all, she'd practiced it so much previously in her life her muscles remembered it better than she did. She didn't notice everyone else in he room stopping as she threw a double, caught it, and began spinning it rapidly with one hand. I can do better, she thought.

She moved to a two handed twirl, moving it behind her back and then to the front again. She began dancing, letting the blade swoop and soar as she got caught in her old hobby. Applause was only a whisper in the wind as she tossed her blade up again- higher, a triple now -did a spin, then caught her Keyblade again. She grew in confidence and tossed it in an arc, moving along to catch it perfectly again. She tossed it as high as she could, caught it, then using the momentum flashed it out-

THWACK!

"AHHH!"

Aqua was snapped from her narrow-minded focus. She turned to see Sora staggering back and clutching his cheek. Her veins froze with dread. There was red seeping through his fingers...

"Sora! Sora are you okay?!" Kairi rushed up to him, "Oh gosh, you shouldn't have gotten so close!"

"How was I supposed to know what she was about to do?!" Sora snapped at her, his voice grating in pain.

Aqua dropped her Keyblade. She had never been immensely regretful about hurting him before, since it was intended as punishment, and even then she never drew blood, but an accident like this...

Terra walked over to Sora and bent down, "Okay, okay, calm down, let me see..." He sighed a little as he grabbed a bit of his clothes to wipe up the blood, "It's not as bad as it could've been-"

"You did that on purpose!" Sora shoved past Terra. He pointed his bloodied finger at Aqua and yelled again, "You did that ON PURPOSE!"

Aqua shook her head, "No! N-no I-I didn't-" her cold shock gave way to a regretful sob, "I-I swear that was an accident-"

"Admit it! You set that up so I'd get hurt without anyone coming to chew you out for it!" Sora yelled again.

Kairi shook her head, "Sora, I think she's being pretty honest-"

Terra grabbed Sora by his shoulder and turned him around, "You listen right now!" Sora was surprised by how furious he looked, "How long have you lived with her?"

Sora's anger faltered, "A-a month I guess-"

Terra, contrastingly, grew more angered, "How long have I lived with her?"

"A lot longer so-"

Terra's voice was warningly growling, "Then I think I'd be right when saying if she says it was an accident it was a goddamn accident." He waved his hand over Sora's face and healed his split open cheek, then said coldly, "Now if I were you I wouldn't go accusing her like that in front of me again." Just when Sora though Terra was done he added, "Also, I said not to go overboard with it if you did decide to defend yourself."

He then turned to Aqua. He looked... Disappointed. Like he felt maybe defending her was in a gray area that he didn't want to be in.

...

Sora huffed as he prodded at his cheek for the umpteenth time since the accident and examined it in a mirror, "I actually stand up for myself-"

"There was nothing to stand up for, Sora." Riku sighed, "We all saw, it was an accident that time. She didn't intend to do that. Every other time she did it deliberately as punishment."

Kairi nodded, "I really think she felt bad about it. No way she did that on purpose."

"Crocodile tears." Sora said. Still, he didn't exactly believe himself on that mark. He then regretted how harsh he was (putting himself on her level, he noted), and decided to add, "If she really does regret it, I bet she's having trouble sleeping about it."

"Sora!" Kairi said with a chastising finger wag, "Don't be so careless about that!" She got up, "But speaking of sleep, I gotta get to my room. Night boys."

"G'night Kairi." Sora and Riku said as she left.

Riku turned to Sora, "Ya know, if that was to prove you weren't a doormat, nice attempt, but you hit a wrong target."

Sora folded his arms, "Well, yeah, but I didn't know what she was doing."

Riku shrugged, "Yeah, but Kairi's right. Master Aqua seemed really, really upset that she did that."

Sora got up and yawned, "Sure, sure." He waved to Riku, "Sleep tight, bud."

...

Aqua couldn't sleep. She kept thinking of Terra and Sora, how they both looked at her like she had hurt them. Then again, that was true. She was hurting everyone, she was losing everyone, and it was all her fault because she couldn't get herself under control anymore- There was a knock on her door.

"What?" She asked, burying her head under her pillow. Whoever it was walked in, sat down, and began stroking her back. Aqua closed her eyes; she knew those fingers. Her voice poured out in a soft and agonized whisper, "I swear I didn't mean-"

"I know... I know." Terra softly interrupted her, "I recognized the look you had. That was regret and apology through and through." He scooped her up in his arms, realizing how tired they both were, "You kind of brought that on yourself, though. Being so harsh to him."

Aqua's hand curled itself on Terra's shoulder, "I'm sorry..."

"You're angry. You're sad." Terra replied, "You just don't know how to deal with it sometimes. It's alright to feel that, but you have to fix how you express it at some point."

Terra sat there, letting Aqua silently weep into his shoulder. He had never quite noticed how frail and fragile she was. She was his warrior queen, his unbreakable and unyielding ocean. These soft moments where she revealed what lay underneath was crushing. Still, he only laid back, drawing the covers over both of them, letting Aqua hug him close to her.

After a moment, he asked, "You wanna see Ventus?"

...

While Riku, Kairi, and Sora were dreaming away and shuffling in their beds in sleep, Aqua and Terra were just as quietly going through their own motions to cope with losing Ven. The boy was cradled in Aqua's silent and solemn arms, and Terra sat next to her as he held Ventus's hand and stroked it. Ven's eyes were just as half closed and vacant, his breaths were just as even and slow, his body was as still as it had ever been.

Terra began speaking, "We have other kids here now... Maybe it won't be so lonely and cold here for you anymore."

"That's if I decide to introduce you to them, though." Aqua said.

"They're about your age- er, the age you were I guess..." Terra continued with a sad laugh, "So of course Aqua thinks they're immature brats." Aqua chuckled, but it was empty. She absently stroked Ven's hair, had her breathing perfectly in sync with his. Terra continued on, "First off is Riku, he's the oldest..." Terra trailed off upon seeing Aqua burying her face in Ven's hair. He stopped stroking Ven's hand to hold Aqua's, "He's a little prideful, but I bet he's going to be a great master someday."

"Kairi's a good student, too." Aqua whispered, "She's smart and compassionate." There was an edge of regret to her voice as she added softer, "Like I used to be."

Terra frowned, but then he began smiling, "Here's the best part: I think we found you.

"Terra..." Aqua sighed, "Don't go on about that again-"

"The third kid is a boy named Sora." Terra ignored her, "I'm not sure on this, but he acts a lot like you. He's optimistic and a little lazy, but willing to learn and enthusiastic about everything. He's already been in trouble for getting on Aqua's bad side, but I think she's just being the ice queen we keep forgetting about."

Aqua looked off to the side, "Terra, come on, don't get full of false hope..."

Terra looked right into the dulled sapphires of Ven's gaze, "But Ven... I think... I think we found your heart."

Aqua shook her head, "Terra-"

"Aqua doesn't think so but I can feel it-" Terra suddenly stopped. He looked at his grip on Ven's hand. He rubbed his thumb against the slightly cold skin, "Sora acts like you, looks kinda like you, he knows what you look like, and not to mention he had your Keyblade for a brief moment."

Aqua lifted her head, "Excuse me?!"

Terra directed his speech at aqua for a moment, "Sorry for not telling you sooner but Sora's Keyblade... It was Ven's, just for a second."

Terra looked at Ventus again, "I think that just maybe you can wake up soon-" he stopped himself and laughed, "He did it again!"

Aqua's brow furrowed, "Did what?"

Terra held Ven's hand to Aqua, and she gingerly accepted it with a look of confusion. Terra said it again, "Ventus, we can wake you up soon."

Aqua's eyes widened as the hand twitched.

...

The grand hall was lit in shades of blue and black, being night and all, but there was a pale and warm glow coming from behind the thrones.

Terra tapped his foot, giddy and impatient, but he was smiling with a small stream of tears. Aqua was crying as well, but she seemed more composed and unbroken than she had in years. Terra turned to her, "You look like you again." Aqua said nothing. She only nodded.

Terra turned back to the crystal that Eraqus had used so long ago to keep tabs on his companion, Yen Sid. Now he and Aqua occasionally used it to do the same but largely it was only for the rare consultation or check up, or even more rarely an update on Ventus's heart. Even then Terra was mostly the only one who used it, Aqua having too many bad memories with the old wizard to want to talk with him.

But tonight was a different case as the image of the sorcerer formed in front of them, "Yes?" After a moment to observe the two, he asked, "Why, whatever is the matter?"

"Ventus!" They said together.

Yen Sid tilted his head, "And?"

Terra laughed, "He moved! He moved his hand!"

Yen Sid blinked, then stroked his beard with a warm smile, "That is quite an amazing development-"

"Yen Sid, w-what does it mean, exactly?" Aqua asked, her words crowding together in a burst.

Yen Sid smiled wider, "The boy's heart is returning."

Terra and Aqua gave each other looks of relief and hope that had gone unseen for over a decade. Aqua tackled Terra, uttering over and over, "Oh my god! Oh my god!" Terra rubbed her hair and held her close, only able to sob and laugh with joy.

"I can imagine that you both are overjoyed, but first we must discern exactly where his heart is." Yen Sid chuckled, "Do you have any ideas?"

Terra backed away from Aqua, "Well-"

"We've taken apprentices under our wing." Aqua cut in, "Terra thinks one of them has Ven's heart, but..." She trailed off, her exuberance falling just as suddenly, "That's impossible. The odds are just so high... No way we found someone who decided to harbor a shattered heart. No way Ventus was able to find anyone to take him in like that most people are too callous-"

"It's not unheard of." Yen Sid explained. He turned to Terra, "Terra has mentioned your apprentices before, but tell me of this one apprentice in particular."

The old wizard patiently waited and listened as Terra began explaining Sora to him. His cautious look never flinched once during the whole explanation. When Terra finished, he closed his eyes and stroked his beard again, leaving Terra and Aqua in anxious silence.

"I will need to see this 'Sora' for myself." He said after a time, "I am not sure if you are merely imprinting on the boy and showing bias to him, or if what your are saying is true." Terra and Aqua's desolate looks brightened when Yen Sid added, "However, I do believe that if Ventus's body has stirred, it may be soon that it will wake regardless. I will come see him tomorrow-"

"Really? So soon?" Aqua asked, "W-we haven't-"

"No preparations are necessary." Yen Sid said, "I will arrive sometime tomorrow. Good night, and I wish you all the luck the stars can give that we have finally found Ventus's heart."

The crystal faded, leaving Terra and Aqua in darkness. Terra sighed, but soon after found himself fiddling with his hands. He just couldn't stop his excitement. Already memories of Ventus bounced around in his head, and thoughts of what was to come made him tear up more. Aqua looked to the moonlight streaming in through a window, "To think... Tomorrow we might see Ventus again...!"

Terra hugged her, "I know... I can't believe it either."

* * *

Welp, it was only a matter of time before I brought this gigantic sun of hope and happiness crashing in, but don't worry, the end is still a ways to go I got a few more aces up my sleeve ;) (whew this is a long chapter I feel bad)


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning brought Kairi, Riku, and Sora an abrupt and unexpected awakening.

"Up! Everybody up! Cleaning day!" Aqua called out cheerfully. When Sora peeped out and yawned, she rushed over and ruffled his hair, giving him a wash rag and a bucket of soap, "Good morning, Sora! You're assigned to cleaning the windows!" Kairi walked out to get handed a mop, "Polish the floors of the grand hall, Kairi!" Riku was assailed by a duster when he opened the door, "Riku, you need to dust!" Aqua skipped down the hall, "Meet me and Terra in the gardens when you're done!"

The three stared at each other.

"What." was all Riku said.

Kairi was smiling and looking down the hall, "Was she actually... Happy?!"

Sora was rubbing his most prominent spike of hair with a stunned look that could be described as slightly concerned, "S-she... She..." He gestured to his head, "S-she-!"

"Was happy to see you!" Kairi laughed.

"As I said: what." Riku said again, "I didn't know she could be so downright... Bubbly."

Kairi ran off, "Well, come on! We got chores to do!"

Everyone decided to start off in the grand hall together, since if Aqua figured they needed to clean anything up, there was probably someone coming.

Sora had little trouble setting up a ladder, and actually found window cleaning gave him a great view of everything outside. He settled into the chore and found that it was thoroughly enjoyable. Riku dusted with little joy, but it was better than doing nothing he supposed after awhile. Besides, it was nice being able to take a look at all the little things in the castle. Kairi waltzed around with her mop more than anything, and eventually managed to find some sponges to turn into little skates on her feet.

"So," Kairi began as she swooped around on her mop again, "Who do ya think is coming?"

"Dunno." Sora got distracted by a couple birds migrating past.

"Well they're probably important and powerful." Riku said as he dusted off an odd gem in the back of the hall.

"Hmmm, yeah." Kairi then drifted into her own musings, "Wonder if they're handsome, and tall, and strong-"

"You describing Master Terra?" Riku turned to Kairi with a cheeky grin.

Kairi slipped. While she groaned, Sora looked down, "Oh! Kai, you okay?"

"Yeah..." Kairi sighed. She stood and went back to skating around and mopping.

Sora puffed up some hair and wiped at the window some more. He then saw a flash of light, "Hey! What was- WOAH!" He lost his footing on the ladder, knocking it over while he scrambled for a hold.

Kairi just missed getting crushed, "EEAHH!"

"Uh, I-I'm fine." Sora said, pulling himself up, "J-just need to... Oh dear." He looked at Riku, who was staring up at Sora with a disbelieving look, "Uh, Riku, how do I get down?"

Kairi picked up the ladder, "D-don't worry! I can- wah!" Kairi seemed to forget she wore sponge skates, and slid around with the momentum of the ladder.

Riku sighed as he watched Kairi make a train wreck of an already bad situation, "Kairi, take those things off!"

Sora held out his hands, "Riku's- ah! -right- oh jeez! -Kairi you should- woah! -take off the- Jiminy cricket! -sponges!"

Kairi fell again, "Ugh! Fine!" She began undoing her sponges, "Hold your horses-"

The doors opened. The three looked at each other with dread. Kairi then called over, "Uh, hold on Master Aqua, or Terra, or whoever you are! We'll be down-" Sora whimpered a little "-to greet you in a minute!"

Riku grabbed the ladder from Kairi, "Here, you go greet the guest and I'll take care of Sora!" So, while Riku began setting up the ladder to help Sora get down, Kairi rushed down. She quickly tucked up her hair and straightened out her clothes.

"H-hello- sir...?" Kairi was caught off by the tall and imposing wizard in front of her, dressed only in blue robes. He had a stern look that made her shut her mouth. He looked at her questioningly. She stared back with numb fear.

"Forgive me if I seem intimidating," the man said after a short time of silence marked only by Sora and Riku's clamoring in the background, "I am here on the behest of Master Terra and Master Aqua. Are they here?"

He lifted his head at a particularly loud crash. Kairi jumped, "Oh! Sora and Riku!" She turned back and bowed, "They're in the garden, sir! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to help my friends!" Kairi ran, yelling, "Don't worry! I'm coming!" She turned back as she ascended the stairs, "T-they'll be back in a bit, I guess!"

Yen Sid watched her leave. After a moment, he stroked his beard, "How curious... So much light in her heart, and yet I can't discern any darkness. I wonder if she is one of them." He looked back to the gardens, then shrugged, "Well, I am here to investigate whether or not Ventus's heart has joined any of these young students, I suppose I should see what the matter is." He began walking up the stairs.

At the top, he was surprised to see Sora and Riku in a heap with a toppled ladder nearby, both of them being told off by Kairi. Yen Sid felt underwhelmed. These were the apprentices of Terra and Aqua?

Sora saw Yen Sid first, and bolted to his feet, "O-OH! Sir!" He pulled himself to a salute, "Sorry! We were cleaning this place up!"

Riku stood stiffly next to Sora, "Ah, M-Master Aqua and Master Terra are outside, would you like us to-"

"To what, Riku?" Terra walked in, flanked by Aqua, "We heard a commotion- oh! Master Yen Sid, you've arrived!" He smiled and hugged his companion, "How good to see you in person again!"

"It is just as well to see you again, Master Terra." Yen Sid smiled back. He waved his hand to Kairi, Riku, and Sora, "I was greeted by these... Impetuous younglings."

Aqua shot them all a look. Sora bit his lip and shuffled his feet, "I-I got stuck..." Riku elbowed him quiet.

Aqua sighed, "Yes, they don't think a lot of things through." She then added cheerfully, "However, I think for one of them that may be a little more of someone else's doing."

The three exchanged glances. What was she talking about?

Yen Sid turned to the trio, "Well, I already see the potential for two." He pointed to Sora and Kairi, "The white haired one shows no sign of it, but the other boy and the girl both show very promising signs of harboring Ventus's heart."

Sora and Kairi blinked, "Huh?"

Aqua and Terra ignored their mutterings of questions, "Yen Sid can you identify which one?"

Yen Sid only smiled, "I do my best work by starlight."

...

The rest of the day was pretty normal besides the fact that there was a stern old man with them. Sora, Kairi, and Riku quickly learned he wasn't as stern as he seemed though. Yen Sid was actually quite amicable, more like a grandfather. He even helped out with their chores with little complaint. As the day went on, they grew more and more comfortable with him, enjoying his company, and quickly forgot the mention of Ventus.

However, things took a different slant at nightfall. Yen Sid gently took Kairi aside to the courtyard outside, "So, what do you think of the stars?"

Kairi craned her neck to the sky, "They're beautiful tonight." She then recalled something Master Aqua had told her, "Legend say they're the hearts of worlds..."

"Oh, they're not just legends." Yen Sid explained, "They are the hearts of worlds, and some of them are hearts that are strong enough to shine in the darkness alongside them. Typically those who wield the Keyblade, but there are exceptions."

Kairi's face filled with awe. She could on yay breathlessly whisper, "So I have one?" The thought of a star to call her own was magic.

"Yes," Yen Sid answered, "and that is why I brought you out here tonight." He raised his hand, "I will point to a star, and I want you to decide if it is what you would consider your star." To be honest he already had a strong hunch as to which one belonged to Kairi, but what he needed was a confirmation from the girl to prove it. He pointed to a small, flickering red star he already knew was Terra's, "How about this?"

"No," Kairi scanned the sky, "My star is brighter than that." A sparkling white dwarf was pointed out in silent question. "No, not that one either." Kairi was drawn to a star that was amazingly brilliant and soft pink, and pointed to it, "That one."

Yen Sid smiled, "Well then, you aren't what I was brought here for." Kairi looked at him as he continued on, "I was brought here to divine whether or not Ventus's heart lingered in one of you. Riku held too much darkness, but you and Sora were prime candidates, and I suppose that leaves Sora as the one, presuming he does have Ventus's heart and is not just very similar."

Kairi was silent. She suddenly felt a little less important. But soon after she recognized what exactly this meant, "So... Master Terra and Master Aqua..." She clasped her hands together, "They'll be happy again? They'll have Ventus back and won't be so broken?"

Yen Sid smiled, "Yes. Now, could you go get Sora?" Kairi nodded and sprang off without any hesitation. Yen Sid turned back to Kairi's star, "A Princess of Heart, training under the Keyblade. What a coincidence."

"Y-you needed me, sir?" Yen Sid turned to see Sora meekly walking up. He smiled up at the wizard, and Yen Sid very easily recognized a similar smile, "I didn't think I'd get to have a little one on one time with someone like you." The two stared at the stars. Sora didn't know how to start a conversation, and Yen Sid was waiting for him to make a move. Sora eventually pointed to a star, bluish green in the dark, "I really like that one."

Yen Sid figured Sora couldn't see it, but it was actually two stars; one blue, one green, so closely intertwined it looked like one. He stroked his beard, troubled. That was a good and bad omen.

"Sir...?" Sora asked quietly.

Yen Sid bowed his head, "Well, that is a good star. It reflects you." He began walking away, "Come, we need to tell your Masters about this."

Sora followed, confused, "Sir, why do you sound so... Troubled?"

Yen Sid didn't reply.

...

Sora sat there while the adults in the room behind him discussed all sorts of things. He tuned out the muffled words, deciding that it was business he shouldn't get into, but he couldn't help but get the gist that it was about him, and it was about Ventus. What sounded hopeful, relieved, and thrilled faded into a fall from cloud nine.

Sora curled up as Aqua shot out, "What do you mean we can't?!"

Yen Sid was as calm as ever, if so there was regret, "I am sorry, but their hearts have mingled for so long, I am afraid that Ventus and Sora cannot be separated-"

Terra sounded furious and mislead, "Oh come on! They aren't the same person-"

"They have been so for so long that if we do separate them, disastrous consequences are almost certain to follow-"

"Don't get our hopes up like this!" Aqua yelled, "Don't tell us we've found him only to be denied because of-"

Yen Sid was quiet and regretful, "Natural means, yes, I am truly sorry. If we make any attempt to bring Ventus back, damage will most likely occur between one of them or both." Sora lifted his head as Yen Sid walked out, "You have gotten the closest you can get to having Ventus again."

Aqua and Terra followed after, but stopped in the doorframe. Aqua's reaching hand fell limply to her side and mimicked her head. Soon after she covered her face. Terra rubbed her shoulders while he watched Yen Sid depart.

Sora was surprised when shortly after Aqua walked to him and fell to her knees, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry if I just realized..." He was even more surprised when she pulled him into a fierce hug that was soon after followed by Terra encompassing them both, "I'm so sorry, Sora," she choked back sad tears to exchange for a happier tone,

"Ventus."

* * *

Dammit Yen Sid there was going to be a semblance of happy feels in this


	13. Chapter 13

The change that followed was as sharp as a cut in paper. The castle seemed brighter with Terra and Aqua finally finding a piece to fill the hole in their hearts. Lessons became sharper and more invested, attitudes were no longer quite as stern or morose.

However, it was also noticeable how much differently Terra and Aqua began treating Sora. They began making all sorts of in jokes while looking at him for a sign of Ventus, or occasionally calling him so. It was clear they were aware of Sora still, but the idea of Sora being his own person faded more and more each day to the idea of being Ventus for them.

"So, Ven-"

"Sora." Sora corrected Aqua for the millionth time.

Aqua shook her head, "R-right, Sora. Tell me what the thirteen disciplines are."

Sora rambled off the easy knowledge- he'd been here half a year now the disciplines were easy enough to memorize -but he began scowling. When he was finished, he muttered and sketched on some paper, "I'm me, okay? I'm not gonna be Ventus." He almost wished Aqua would treat him like she used to; at least then she treated him like he was himself.

Aqua either didn't hear him or ignored him as she moved on to drilling Riku and Kairi. Riku was as uninterested as ever. His Keyblade still stubbornly refused to come to him. Terra kept him here because he promised he would teach Riku how to use a Keyblade, but was completely baffled as to what was causing Riku's block. The only thing that had changed in Riku was that his cocky mannerisms faded into boredom.

Kairi wasn't any different either; still a star student, still keeping Sora and Riku in check when they butted heads, but honestly there was something broken behind her smile. She felt like maybe she didn't have as special a reason to be here. Even Riku had something interesting to him; yet she was blank and faceless compared to the boys.

When the lessons finished up, Kairi went to her room and Riku went off wherever he decided to think things over, but Sora lingered behind. He cleared his throat, "Master Aqua-"

"I keep saying you can just call me Aqua." Aqua smiled at him.

Sora sighed, "That's the problem. You're talking to Ventus, not me."

Aqua's smile faltered, and she looked at her feet, "Yes..." She sighed, "I-I'm sorry but... Ten years with no hope of ever seeing him again, and now you're here and..." She trailed off and looked at Sora right in his eyes, "I just can't help it."

"I'm my own person, okay?" Sora said, "I've been here for six months now and I wish you'd start treating me like you used to!"

Aqua flinched. She began fiddling with the straps on her chest, "That was... That was unfair and you know it-"

"It's unfair now how I'm getting more attention than everyone else." Sora said, "It's better if you acknowledge that I'm an individual, you know." He didn't raise his voice, but the loathing was clear, "I'm not just a delivery boy for your long lost friend." Sora then gathered his things and left for his room with no time for her to reply.

He threw himself onto his bed with a tired groan, and sat there. He breathed in the sheets, wondering if maybe it was better if he never got so close to Ventus. Maybe then they wouldn't find out. He wondered if anyone even wanted him anymore. Riku was bound to be jealous of him and Kairi for having their Keyblades, and Kairi seemed more infatuated with her work than either of them.

He turned over to look at the ceiling, "I don't want to be ignored anymore."

...

Riku skipped a rock on the pond. It knocked over a water lily, and sank after bumping into the mountainside after ten skips. He began trudging through the rocks again. He stopped, then tried summoning his Keyblade. A light appeared, weak and flickering, but then it faded. He clenched his fist, "Come on, please, this is what I came here for..."

When it didn't come again, he grabbed a rock and hurled it. Instead of skipping along the water, it crashed into the mountainside with a sharp plink. It felt refreshing to do so, and he grabbed rock after rock and threw them until his arm was sore. After a time he just fell onto the shore, watching the ripples of his actions.

This "dream come true" was more of a nightmare. He was great at learning what needed to be learned, but there was no way to apply it if he couldn't get his Keyblade, "I inherited the dang thing..." He glared at his hand, and he felt angry tears well up in his eyes, "Come on! I know I can use you just come already!"

Nothing answered him.

...

Kairi undid her trademarked bun, letting her hair fall past her shoulders. She began experimenting with how short it could be and what it would look like by pinching hair between two fingers and imagining anything below was gone. She fluttered her lips. She wondered when the boys would notice she was starting to develop in ways unrelated to their studies...

After a bit she just let her hair rest over one shoulder, and she stood to begin going through Keyblade techniques. She made a swift cut, "I'm important to them!" A thrust, "I'm not just here to be here!" Slash back the way she came forward, "I'm here because I was chosen, just like them!" Vertical, "I'm..." She faltered, "I'm..." She fell to her knees, and started crying, "Not good enough."

Soon after she slapped herself, "Come on! A future master as good as you doesn't think like that!" She balled her fists, pumping them as she began her pep talk again, "You're the best in your class, just like Master Aqua said! You're better than Riku because you actually have your Keyblade, you're better than Sora because you're way more driven!"

She stood, then summoned her Keyblade again and walked to her mirror, "You need to show them you mean business."

* * *

UH OH trouble in paradise! What, did you think things were really gonna be okay after that?


	14. Chapter 14

"Woah! I-Kai..." Sora was utterly surprised the next morning to see Kairi no longer wearing her bun. She'd cut her hair down to shoulder length and now wore it down, framing her face quite nicely with red curtains.

Riku accepted the change better than Sora, "You look nice. Finally got rid of that soft and prissy look."

"Thank you." Kairi said, stiffer and politer than usual.

This prompted Riku to mutter, "Kept the prissy attitude, though."

Sora ignored the exchange and leaned over to put his hand on her shoulder, "Kai, you okay?"

"Kairi. Call me Kairi." She replied as she shrugged him off.

Sora leaned back, and was about to put his hands over his head before he lowered them and opted to scratch his cheek, "Oh, uh, okay... Kairi..."

Aqua arrived to direct the three to their lessons of the day and smiled, "Kairi you-"

"Yes, I cut my hair, now can we get to learning what were gonna do?" Kairi quipped at her, never faltering in her reserved tone.

Aqua blinked, "Oh!" She smiled, "None of you have been showing that desire to learn recently, good, good!" She then waved them over, "Well, today you're learning sword techniques with Terra, sadly."

Kairi walked past her, "Good."

Aqua looked at Riku and Sora. They shrugged at her back.

...

"So," Terra began as he drew a circle in the ground with his Keyblade, "I figured today we'd go for some sparring."

"But we're always doing that." Riku said as he flipped his wooden Keyblade around, "How is this going to be different?"

Terra stood in the center, "This time you'll be choosing who to fight, and you won't be going through each technique. It will be a completely unscripted fight with only two rules for victory, besides the usual safety: to hit your opponent three times before they do the same to you, or knock them out of the ring."

Sora looked at Riku, "Been awhile since we'd gotten one of those, eh?"

Riku smirked back, "I'll own your butt and you know it."

Sora punched his shoulder playfully, "Yeah right-"

The two stopped their teasing when Kairi walked right past them and into the sparring circle. She assumed a ready position with her Keyblade, glaring at Terra head on, "I challenge you, Master Terra." The boys were speechless.

"Kairi, um..." Sora managed to say. He thought over his words for a second while she glared at him before he finally decided to leave his words unminced, "That's a little dangerous. You might get hurt."

Terra lifted his eyebrow in question at Kairi, but Kairi only nodded to him with firmer resolve. Terra then slowly assumed a ready position himself, "I may be rusty when it comes to a real deal like this, but be warned I'm not going to hold back much."

Kairi began circling, "Good."

Sora and Riku watched as Kairi and Terra slowly made their way around the circle, prowling and waiting for someone to dare a strike. Sora began tugging at his jacket and biting his lip. Riku was as cold and composed as ever next to him, but there as a tautness in his cheeks that suggested he was biting the inside of them. Sora whispered, "You think she's gonna get hurt?"

Riku voice was flat and bitter, "Think? I _know_."

Kairi suddenly lunged with a ear splitting cry. Terra dodged the blow easily, returning with his own steady hit that pushed Kairi back by her stomach. Kairi staggered, but stopped and grounded herself just as her feet reached the edge of the ring. Kairi cartwheeled away the moment she saw Terra running towards her, using her delicate and light frame to her advantage. She managed to get full circle around Terra, and went in for a strike, but Terra quickly covered his back with his Keyblade and managed to swivel around to knock Kairi back again.

"Two out of three hits while I got none. Better pick it up Kairi." Terra called to her.

Kairi jumped away from another hit, using Terra's distraction of an embedded blade to circle around again. Terra used the momentum of pulling his blade out to swing at her again, but Kairi dodged and managed a hit.

"YEAH! GO KAIRI!" Sora hollered, jumping in joy and flailing his fists in support from outside the ring. Riku only nodded approvingly next to him.

Terra rubbed his shoulder- the place Kairi managed to hit, "Nice, nice job."

Kairi only huffed and pushed her hair back. However her sass was lost to shock as Terra ripped up the ground and tossed dirt into her eyes, "Keep in mind you gotta be ready for anything in a real fight." Kairi growled in annoyance as she ran and wiped at her eyes.

"That was awfully cheap..." Sora muttered. He raised his voice, "Master Terra, are you just afraid of losing to a girl?!" He then noticed Terra wasn't really moving much, letting Kairi dance around partially blinded, "Huh? What's he doing?"

Kairi soon managed to get out of the way of another strike, and took the opportunity of Terra's mistake of being left wide open to make two sharp and decisive hits. The battle was done.

Terra stood, laughing, "I haven't been beaten by anyone other than Aqua. Nice, you did a very good job, Kairi."

Riku coughed, "You were holding back too much, Master Terra."

Kairi glared at him as she sauntered off the field. "I'll go see to Master Aqua, since it's now obvious I'm better than any of you." she explained.

Terra rubbed the back of his neck and stabbed his Keyblade into the ground. He waited for Kairi to get out of earshot before whispering, "I wanted to make sure she got a victory, okay? She deserves to feel proud of how well her studies translate to the real thing."

He shrugged at Sora and Riku's gazes, "She does have the talent and knowledge to be a very real threat. She picked up my slower movement patterns very fast, but I guess I was exaggerating a bit since none of you are really at my level. I wanted to humor her and give something to brag about."

"Anyone could pick up that you'd fall behind even a tortoise." Riku scoffed as he went in. He held up his wooden Keyblade, "Face me and don't hold back at all."

Terra sighed and picked up his Keyblade, "Are you sure?"

Riku nodded, "Go ahead. Wail on me as if I was actually fighting, I wanna see how I measure up to the real deal."

Terra didn't move, "Fine. Come at me if you really want to." Riku thought a moment, prompting Terra to add, "You can even start outside the circle for a good running start."

Sora held Riku's shoulder and backed up with him, "Riku, come on, if he was holding back with Kairi-"

Riku shrugged him off, "I can handle it." Riku left Sora behind and charged. Terra seemed bored as he sidestepped, then brought his Keyblade to Riku's stomach, and finally used the leverage to toss the boy out of the ring and into the nearby pond.

"Riku!" Sora yelled. He chased after his friend without a moment of hesitation.

Terra dusted off his hands, "Don't worry, at most he's gonna be bruised. Nothing I can't fix up." Riku surfaced, spitting out water. Indeed, he seemed little worse for wear, but he did show some signs of discomfort when he curled into his stomach on the shore.

Sora knelt next to him, "You okay?"

"Stomach hurts a little..." Riku groaned.

Terra walked over and healed him up, "Well, you said not to hold back." Riku sat up with a huff. Terra smiled in good-natured amusement, "You asked for how well you stood up to the real deal and you got your answer. Not quite there yet."

Riku grumbled something but Sora was too busy asking Terra about the techniques involved in such a takedown for anyone to catch what he had said.

Terra then held his hand out to Sora, "Well, they've tried, you want to? You might beat me." Sora was about to consider it before Terra added, "I never really went this hard on Ven but it's pretty close and we'd often have some pretty even matches-"

Sora stood, "No, no thank you, Master Terra."

* * *

Riku you really should've thought that through. And dang it Terra you're nicer about it but realize Sora isn't Ven 2.0


	15. Chapter 15

A month later Sora finished another sketch and promptly pinned it up on the wall. He sighed. Ever since realizing just what was the source of his dreams, the images were becoming clearer and clearer. Not to mention his already decent skills with pencil and paper were getting better and better.

He pulled off a drawing of Ventus and sighed. More and more often he was heading up to Ven's chamber and sketching him out, or maybe just talking to the empty air and comatose teenager as a way to get feelings off.

He folded the paper up, set it on his side table, grabbed his pencils and sketchbook, then left for Ven's chamber.

Sora made some idle chitchat with Kairi on the way, but really he didn't feel like talking with her. He hadn't in awhile. Not since she changed and refused to go back to the old her. She was cold and solely focused on studies now, and it was hard pressed to find her somewhere besides her room or the castle library. Once an advocate to make sure everyone was treated fairly and a mediator of any arguments, she barely batted an eye at any discrepancies unless they interfered with her learning.

When the doors shut behind him, he sighed and settled on the ground, "Hey, Ven." He began quick warmup sketches, "So, anything new?"

His pencil- smooth ebony that left a flexible and dark line that Terra and Aqua had gotten him -brushed against the page and formed a smile. The smile evolved into Ventus smiling, but with the tints of concern in his eyes. Sora smiled and began drawing again; the usual question, huh? "Sorry, they're still a little hung up on what's going on with you and me."

Sora had learned to make quick and expressive gestures when it came to interpreting Ven's consciousness at the back of his heart for a fluid conversation, and quickly made another drawing that was frowning, and maybe a little mad. Sora tapped the end of his pencil on the paper, "Mmmm... I know I'm understating it, but they do have a valid argument." He looked up at the real Ventus, "They really, really miss you."

When he turned his head back to drawing, he sketched out a portrait that looked like Ventus was happy and sad for all the attention. Right next to it, Sora sketched out a questioning, hopeful smile. Sora laughed, "Oh come on I've already tried to get them to humor the idea of us separate. They're too scared of the risk."

A frown formed on the paper. This one regretful and looking away. Sora flipped to a new page, "I get it, you're sorry." Sora decided to sketch something he wanted to, "But being sorry's not going to fix anything going on." A few fighting figures opened up to his pencil, gradually becoming an armored Ventus and...

_Himself._

Sora sighed and closed his sketchbook, "Please stop."

He looked at Ven's body, and it's right hand fingers tapped in a small pattern they had assigned to "okay/more" (it depended on the context). Then his left pinky tapped; "Sorry." Sora thought over such a development for what wasn't the first time, "Well, I mean... If we've gotten to the point where you can move your body when I'm nearby, why can't we...?" Sora didn't need to finish.

The left fingers tapped followed by the right mirroring; "I dunno."

Sora opened up his previous sketch and looked at it a moment. He pulled out a small knife and sharpened up his pencil, then went in and assigned small details to the sketch. The lines suddenly darkened from the pressure applied in annoyance. After a moment his hand drifted to draw Ventus with a suddenly resolved look.

One Sora recognized from when Riku had a plan he wasn't going to back down from.

"What are you thinking?" he sighed. A Keyblade appeared from his pencil, and a heart followed with an arrow connecting the two. Sora leaned back from the drawing, "Well, yeah, the Keyblade can do that, but Master Aqua AND Master Terra agreed it's a difficult and advanced procedure where a lot can go wrong."

He began sketching out a few lines, sharply and quickly dragging the lead in an effort to keep the lines straight when his hand began shaking as much as his voice- subtle, but noticeable, "They say a person could end up dying if the heart gets damaged enough. I don't want to hurt anyone-"

He stopped when he realized the lines were forming a hand with a checkered wristband clasping another that was clenched like his own. He made a few quick lines that revealed Ventus's tender, supportive look.

Sora then stood, keeping his eyes on the ground, "I-I don't know if it'll work Ven I mean if they say it's too dangerous..." He raised his head, "We should just wait it out until someone's confident enough to do it without any consequences." He pulled up his sketchbook and began drawing again, "For now I can just talk with you..."

Ventus's newly drawn look was puzzled and hurt. Sora sighed, "It's not that I don't trust you, it's just I don't trust myself." He then found a compromise, "Gimme the rest of today to think it over. We can do it tonight if I think we can do it without a hitch."

The smile Sora drew was approving enough. Sora turned to leave, but not before he asked, "Hey... About Kairi..." He didn't know exactly what to say, his words leaving. He then absently sketched her, smiling like she used to. Even if she was faking being happy before her change, he wished the happy and bubbly Kairi he met so long ago would come back.

Ventus soon entered the picture, shrugging sadly. Sora closed his eyes a moment to collect himself. He chuckled at himself mockingly, "I shouldn't've brought it up. You understand what's goin' on between us and the Masters perfectly, but everything else is unclear."

Sora finally stashed his pencil in his pocket, closed his sketchbook, and tucked it under his arm, "I'll see ya around."

...

Kairi skipped a rock. She knew that normally this was Riku's place to brood (especially now that it was month 7 training and he could only get wisps of his Keyblade- an outline if he was lucky) but she figured it worked better for her when the sun began setting or rising. Riku normally came at night or midday. Never any in-betweens of dawn or dusk, which left the "brooding pond" open for Kairi.

"Hello!" Kairi jumped when Sora jumped down to her. He smiled, "Hey, something besides moping on your face!"

Kairi grabbed her arm and backed up, "That's not very nice, scaring me like that."

Sora sighed and picked up a stone. "Fine, I apologize." the stone danced across the pond. Sora sat down and began looking for another, "Ya know, I think our first few weeks here you would've laughed at that."

Kairi grabbed another stone and sent it along the water. Sora watched it, then said, "If you wanna go farther you gotta relax a little." Kairi picked up another stone and chucked it without a sound. Sora watched it again, then nodded approvingly. Kairi smiled.

"There it is!" Sora exclaimed.

Kairi's smile vanished and she began messing around with her hair, "What?" She looked around, "Where's what?!"

She turned to Sora to see him smiling back, "The old you!"

Kairi looked at a tree and bit at her cheek, "You act like that's special."

Sora stood and moved closer, reaching for her hand, "Of course it is."

Kairi turned from him and folded her arms, "No it's not." She then turned back to him and snapped, "And who are you to say a smile is special when you're still handing them out like candy?!"

Sora let his hands drop back to his sides. He shrugged. He then said, "Well..." He wanted to tell her he missed her smile, but then decided to leave if she was mad at him. Better to not make the situation worse. Still, he couldn't help but say, "Be appreciative of what you got." Kairi tiled her head. Sora held up his hand and continued, "What you have today you might not have tomorrow. Smile while you can and be thankful we're here."

"I am thankful," Kairi said, "I'm studying harder than you or Riku-"

"I'm not saying you should study harder." Sora sighed- girls were always so touchy, weren't they? "I'm saying there's more to life than just being a cold and aloof person who practically marries their studies." He looked at her over his shoulder, "Find a balance, okay?"

Kairi nodded after a moment, "Fine."

Sora put his hands in his pockets and began whistling as he waltzed off.

...

Sora held the Kingdom Key in his hands. They wouldn't stop shaking. He'd decided to do this- after all, Terra and Aqua would hvae Ven again and who knows how much Kairi or Riku would miss him -but his fear kept rising and falling. The warmth of the Keyblade suddenly felt like coals.

"Ven... I'm scared." He felt a softer presence, almost like the hand holding his he'd drawn earlier. He looked at Ventus, then grabbed his hand, "Do you... Do you promise it won't hurt?" It flexed around his in a pseudo-grip.

Sora smiled, albeit shakily, "Right." He took a deep breath and angled the tip of the blade to his heart. He sat there for several moments, almost daring himself to chicken out. He then said, "Tell Master Terra and Master Aqua... I'm sorry if anything bad happens."

* * *

_SORA THIS IS A REALLY BAD IDEA HON. (aw who am I kidding as author I technically told him to)_


	16. Chapter 16

Aqua felt nervous the next morning. Sora wasn't anywhere to be seen. She turned to Riku, "Riku-"

"Dunno." He replied. Kairi shrugged next to him.

Aqua sighed. She saw Terra approaching, and said, "Watch them. I'm going to find Sora." While she walked away, she murmured, "Probably sleeping in..." She knocked on his door, "Sora? Sora come on, get up." No response. She opened it, "Hell-" the bed was empty.

She backed up, then looked down the hall, "Sora?" With dread, she began running, "Sora?!" The stairs were barely felt beneath her feet, almost like she was flying, "Sora this isn't funny!" The doors to Ven's chamber was slightly ajar, and she wrenched it open, "This is not funny at all! You're going to-"

She stopped dead in her tracks. Something shadowy was crouched at the feet of the throne, twitching with bright yellow knew it was a Heartless, and she wasn't afraid of it, but a heartless getting so close to Ven? Terrifying. But soon enough her fear gave way to rage, and she began charging at it. After only a few footsteps she screeched to a stop at a new development.

Ventus jolted awake.

The flash of senses rushing back in disoriented him enough to fall right in top of the shadow in front of him with a startled yell. He flexed his hands as the Heartless blended into the ground and rematerialized to his side. It's antenna twitched curiously. Ventus looked at it, then held out his hand. The Heartless held it tenderly. Ventus used his voice for the first time in years, "Sora..."

Aqua screamed.

"What? What's-" Terra arrived and stopped. "Ven?!" He asked. He noticed the Heartless next, "And what's-"

"Don't!" Ventus suddenly got in front of the small creature and held out his arms, "It's Sora!" He looked back at it, "I-I thought..." he scooped up the Heartless into his arms and began crying, "I'm sorry I thought...!"

Riku arrived and looked around, "Where's Sora?" He settled his gaze on Terra, "Master Terra, where is Sora?!"

Terra looked at his feet. Aqua covered her mouth, "Ventus what did you do?"

Ven's expression was unbearable regret, "I'm sorry I knew what needed to be done and I-I thought that Sora could pull it off!"

"Pull what off?" Riku asked while his stomach sank further and further.

Ventus looked at Riku, "I'm so sorry."

Riku's Keyblade snapped into his hand just as fast as his heart broke in two.

...

Waves piled up on the shore, then ran back to the sea. They tickled the limp finger of an unconscious boy, but soon after the finger twitched.

He didn't make a sound as he sat up, and let the blank and vacant gaze of his eyes observe the island beach around him. The smell of sea salt and flowers and crisp, clean air reminded him of something, almost the echo of a dream. But there was nothing to feel. He looked at everything objectively.

He blinked, then raised his head to the sun and shaded his eyes from the blinding light. He lowered his gaze and dug his hands in the sand, raising them to let the loose soil slip through his fingers like water.

The boy brushed off his hands on his pants, but paused. He moved his hand into his pocket, and pulled out a pencil drawing depicting a young woman standing next to an equally aged man, with three teenagers between them. The youngest looked to be a vaguely sporty girl in the exact middle, followed by the pale haired boy smugly holding her shoulder on her right, and a smiling young man who shared a bit of fashion sense with the man and woman on her left.

The castaway stood and looked inland, noting a shack among the palm trees. He walked past it, heading for the waterfall behind. He cupped his hands and drank the cold water, splashed it on his face in an attempt to wake up. Maybe it was a more desperate attempt to remember something besides a dark, blank slate.

He looked at his reflection in the rushing water.

His hair was dark, and he was golden eyed.

...

Sora- or more specific his heart -floated around in the darkness. Surprisingly, nothing hurt. Nothing at all. It was like floating in body temperature water. Just drifting. Nothing really felt besides a soft, vague warmth. Ventus was right, he mused before wondering who Ventus was.

He closed his eyes. Who was he, again? Sora, right? He felt a sad nostalgia in the fact he couldn't really remember any other names, and just barely his own. Well, he remembered the names, but not the faces, not the people, behind them. Just blurred swaths of colors and feelings and experiences. He remembered a girl and a boy about his age, another pair slightly older. That was about as specific as he could get.

He closed his eyes and continued to let himself drift in the darkness.

...

Shortly after the initial wave of panic upon discovering what exactly Sora had done to himself and Ventus, Terra and Aqua rallied up a search for answers in the library. Riku merely went to his room and stared at his Keyblade, numb. Kairi helped Ven to his room, since his muscles weren't quite as good as they used to be. She joined Terra and Aqua in the library afterwards, "Any luck?"

She looked at the impromptu cage made of some particularly heavy tomes for the Heartless that used to be Sora. Kairi honestly figured if it was going to make a move on one of them it would have done so by now, but kept the comment to herself.

"No," Aqua sighed as she flipped through a book.

Terra set another onto the little book fort, "We've called Yen Sid but for now we haven't found anything."

Kairi nodded. After a moment of scanning book titles, she added, "Ven's in his room."

Aqua only nodded as she furiously turned more pages. Kairi took a moment to listen to the noises of the library, and ended up deciphered Aqua's frantic muttering, "You _won't_ fail. You won't let him go. You _will_ save him."

After a moment Terra lowered his book and walked over to hold her shoulder, "Aqua, it's not like last time-"

"There ARE lives on the line just like last time, so _don't_ tell me that." She hissed back as she set aside her book. Terra went back to searching.

Kairi picked up a book herself and began reading much more carefully. Every mention of Heartless drove her heartbeat up, but it always fell back when it was revealed to not be anything they needed. She set the book down when she was done, and decided to check up on Ven. After all, if Sora gave himself up, surely Ven was more than merely somewhat important.

She knocked on his door, "Ven?" No answer. She opened it, "Ventus?"

Ven was leaned against his window, staring outside with a blank gaze. His eyes in the reflection of the window were dull, and his expression read nothing but regret and blame. In fact, he looked exactly like he used to; sitting there with no connection to the space around him as if he wasn't quite home.

Kairi walked over, "Ven, you okay?" Ven's eyes flickered in the window to Kairi, then went back. She sat next to him, "Ven-"

"Non sunt tenebrae et lux." Ventus whispered.

Kairi felt her face crumple along with her understanding, "Huh?"

"Non sunt tenebrae et lux." Ventus said again, just as soft, just as vacant.

Kairi recognized the pronunciations and pinned it down as Latin or some other romance language, "It's great you can speak that Ven but I don't know what you're saying-"

"There is no darkness and light." Ventus finally explained without his voice raising even the smallest amount. Tears poured from his eyes, yet his blank countenance never changed as he uttered the words over and over, "There is no darkness and light; Non sunt tenebrae et lux..."

He curled up after a minute, sobbing, "There is nothing... There is nothing..."

* * *

OH _NOWW_ YOU SHOW UP RIKU'S KEYBLADE GEE THANKS. And is this kiddo Vanitas? _NOT (quite?)_ Vanitas? What about Sora?! And poor Ven what's wrong with him?! QUESTIONS I WON'T ANSWER UNTIL LATER AND HEARTBREAK THAT'S HOW I ROLL B)

(also don't/do watch young justice there's an episode where pretty much everyone dies [Ep. 16 Season 1; Fail safe you can watch it on Netflix instant] and god that hurt my feelings)


	17. Chapter 17

Aqua rubbed Ven's forehead, pushing back his bangs and eventually letting her hand fall to rub his cheek, "No fever..."

While Aqua continued her check up, Terra turned to Kairi, "Has he said anything?"

"Hmm, not since I went to get you two." Kairi bit her lip.

Terra stopped rubbing Ven's hand, "What'd he say?"

Kairi sighed and brushed back her hair, "I dunno something in Latin or a similar language and then what I'm guessing was a translation... Well, two of them, I dunno which is a translation if either of them are." She pressed her palm to her forehead, "What was it..."

Aqua, paying attention to what Kairi said but multitasking more than anything, held up her finger, "Ven, follow my finger." Ventus continued staring forward, until Aqua waved her finger, crooning, "Left, right, left, right..." His eyes then sluggishly followed, as if he didn't really care, but there was enough life. Aqua sat back and sighed, "Not like last time." She laughed a little, but it sounded hiccupy with tears. Terra hugged her.

Kairi then snapped her fingers, "Oh! I-it was 'Non sunt tenebrae et lux.' That's what he said first."

Aqua looked at Kairi, "I didn't figure he'd remember that." She and Terra glanced at each other, smiling with slight nostalgia, "Who'd of thunk that Ventus would remember our Latin lessons?"

"Oh so it was Latin," Kairi mused to herself. She then questioned the logic, "but why-"

"When Ventus was new here, he was kind of like this. Vacant and blank with no memory." Aqua gently grabbed Ven's limp hand, "Master Eraqus needed something to teach us that wasn't very intensive, but mentally stimulating enough to get him to kind of... Mentally jumpstart. He figured, why not learn a new language?" She felt Terra wrap his hand around hers and Ven's, and laughed a little, "It was funny, when we learned our names over again."

"Yeah," Terra chuckled, "Ven kept running around yelling his name and waving fans around."

Aqua's smile faded, "But what Ven said means-"

"There is no darkness and light." Ventus murmured. Aqua's look faded into hollow horror. Terra just looked dismal.

Kairi shuffled her feet, "He said that too, followed by-"

"There is nothing..." Ventus began his maddened mantra again, except this time he looked right at Terra and Aqua. His voice began rising, "There is nothing!" He grabbed at Terra and Aqua's clothes, wailing, "There is NOTHING!" Aqua quietly brought him closer into a hug as his heartbroken screams continued, Terra following right behind.

Kairi left, not wanting to hear the torture anymore. The sheer amount of pain brought forth in their hearts was starting to make her nauseous as well. She wandered down the hall, wondering what was going to happen as Ven's laments echoed around her. Everything had fallen into place for a perfect, happy ever after, but fate had pulled everything right out of it. She stopped outside Sora's room. She then quietly walked into it, and sat down.

_"Be appreciative of what you got... What you have today you might not have tomorrow. Smile while you can and be thankful we're here."_

Kairi felt her lip quivering. Her eyes watered as they darted over the drawings. She hugged herself, trying to stop crying. She tried smiling, but it felt strained. She got up and left the room, muttering to herself, "Come on, let it go. It's not like he's..." She stopped after awhile, falling against the wall and sobbing, "Dead."

...

Riku stared at his Keyblade. His cheeks and eyes felt raw and stinging from rubbing away tears. He heard Kairi crying, and Ventus, too. Everything was falling apart the moment he got what he wanted. He held up the blade. It looked menacing with shades of crimson and dark purple and ad black, shaped like a bat wing, but there was also a wing for the teeth end and on half the handle's guard.

"Now you come." He hissed, "Now, when I couldn't protect him."

He heard another keening echo of Ventus, "There is nothing!"

Riku tightened his grip, "There is nothing that can stop me from getting you back, Sora."

...

Golden eyes flickered over the sunset. Oddly the boy seemed to become... well it wasn't quite nostalgic at the sight but something akin to that without so much emotion behind it. Reminded might be a more accurate term. Reminded of what, he didn't know.

Most of the day he hid from the two boys and a girl that had arrived. Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie were their names (which he learned from careful observation). They stirred foggy reminders in him, too. Like he knew that Wakka and Tidus were deeply involved with some sort of "Blitzball" game and that Selphie tended to be just as energetic as Tidus. Wakka was more laidback, which the boy was surprised to already know, rather than finding out.

Still, he didn't feel much about them besides curiosity to how he already knew them, but eventually he decided to just observe for a few days rather than directly introducing himself. He still didn't really remember who he was, but glimmers were coming in. Yet the pictures were just fogged mirrors. Seen, but not understood.

And after all, he still needed a name.

A name as hollow as the empty shell he was.

...

Yen Sid quietly stirred his tea. Aqua was practically sinking in her chair opposite of him, looking tired and several years older, with Terra quietly standing next to her with a hand massaging her shoulder and displaying a similar change. Kairi and Riku were both absently observing Sora's Heartless, as if staring at it would bring Sora back.

"So..." Yen Sid said softly, "Ventus-"

"It's an unprofessional diagnosis, and probably too early to really say anything," Aqua cut him off, "but... I believe he is catatonic with one episode so far of extremely distressed behavior."

"Distressed is an awfully light way of putting it, Aqua." Terra rubbed his jaw and looked outside, his voice hushed, "With what he was talking about and the way he said it..." His normally stoic features crumpled, "It was like he might as well have been_ renouncing god_."

Aqua flinched, and so did Kairi and Riku.

Yen Sid only gave a barely noticed sigh. He turned to the book fort holding the little shadow inside, "And we are all painfully aware of Sora's state of being."

Aqua cut to the chase, "Is it reversible? Is there any way we can get Sora back?" Yen Sid stroked his beard while everyone held their kept praying, over and over again, that her unlucky streak of losing people was at an end.

After a moment, he said, "There is a man, who conducted research on the heart..." Kairi's attention snapped up. She turned away from Sora to watch Yen Sid elaborate, "He hails from Radiant Garden and his name is-"

Kairi stood, "Ansem the Wise." Everyone turned to her as she nodded, "H-he did do research on the heart, for the public good, but he... He stopped about a year or two after the experiments started because they were getting too unethical."

Yen Sid nodded, "But, if anyone knows if there is a possibility of Sora returning, he would."

Aqua nodded, then stood, "Then we need to go-"

"Hold on, can I come with you?" Kairi stopped her, "Please I want to help Sora! Not to mention I grew up there, everyone knows me and might just think you're being crazy asking after Grandpa Ansem-"

"Grandpa?!" Aqua asked.

Kairi's face became red, "W-well he wanted me to call him that I don't think he's actually my grandpa..."

Aqua paused. She went over who they could spare to let wander the worlds, then said, "Terra, Riku, you two stay here and take care of Ventus. Me and Kairi will go to Radiant Garden-"

"Aqua she doesn't have armor-"

Terra managed to say that much before Aqua explained, "We'll make her some, and we'll bring..." she hesitated as her gaze settled on the oddly placid Heartless, "Sora, to see if we can gather anything more." She turned to Yen Sid and bowed, "You, sir, will go back to your tower and look for answers however you can."

"I want to help more than this!" Everyone was surprised at how suddenly Riku went beyond his numb state, "I want to do something besides sit around and wait for answers!"

Yen Sid folded his arms, "Well, I have heard of a theory..." Aqua tilted her head in an inquiry, "It has been theorized that if a person with a strong enough heart loses it and turns into a Heartless... The body continues, as a Nobody."

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THE PLOT THICKENSSSSSSSSSSSSSS


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